“I got called for jury duty. Bleh.”
“It’s a small price to pay to live in a free society.”
“Big deal.”
“You also get to play God with people’s lives.”
“Well, they should print that on the letter.”

I had jury duty yesterday. I’ve actually never been called before, other than one time in college that was canceled. Good thing too, it was in East Brookfield (way the hell out of the way) and there was a child murder case going on at that time.

I had to go to Fitchburg, which sucked, because it’s a half hour away and the AC in my car is busted. I show up and of course the whole area around the courthouse is one way streets. The parking lot is full, so I stop at a meter and hope for the best.

I check in and sit in with the rest of the jurors. I brought along Moby Dick but couldn’t read because (A) there was a TV playing the Today Show really loud, and (B) I was too tense to read. I know a guy who got stuck on a three day case, and who the hell wants that?

I sat in the back row next to a man who had to have been setting up an insanity defense to get out of jury duty, because he just kept mumbling to himself while we were waiting.

We watch a wacky video on being a juror and then finally get called into court at 10:30. There was only 1 trial that day, and they needed six jurors, so with 20 potential jurors I thought the odds were in my favor. They started calling out numbers and it’s pretty intense. No whammies! They call out six jurors, and I think I’m home free. But then of course the prosecution makes two people sit down, so two more get called. Then the defense makes another person sit down, so someone else gets called up. The judge thanks us for showing up and sends us on our way and I get the hell out of dodge.

Of course I get lost trying to get back to the highway, because eventually find my way home. I get back at 11:30 and have the whole day to myself. So that’s cool. Jury duty wasn’t that bad, I did my civic duty, plus I’m free for three years.

And yes, I’m reading Moby Dick for the first time. Probably #1 on the “books I should have read but never have.” Its starts really well but now I’m at the part where Ishmael talks about whales and their genealogy for pages on end – BRUTAL. If I’m reading this right apparently dolphins are whales. Who knew?