No Drudgery in Jury Duty

Nobody wants to get a jury summons, but my six hours serving democracy this week was an invigorating experience. 

I rode public transportation, a slow but painless way to get into downtown Denver with no hefty parking fee.  Fellow passengers were considerate of those in wheelchairs and the elderly. I saw enough feet to get an idea of what’s hot in young women’s shoes. I admired a young businessman’s dark blue suit with those skinny pants my husband will never be willing or able to wear. 

I enjoyed a brisk walk in good weather to the courthouse.  The line for security to get inside was just like the airport, except I didn’t have to remove my shoes (which were not stylish). I made it through the check-in line a few minutes late, but I wasn’t the last.  

I always appreciated the massive marble old courthouse with its worn down steps, wide hallways and brass railings. It felt elegant and historic.

The new court building is sleek, sunlit, and appealing. Look at this east facing wall. I couldn’t  figure out how the plastic tubes carry color when they appear clear and colorless.

I held my breath through four rounds of jury selection. In between roll calls I reread my current writing project's first draft. It's so rough I felt the splinters. 

My number was called for the fifth case. At least forty of us were called and promptly excused because the trial had been dismissed. Yeah! Duty done for this year. 

Enroute to my bus stop I enjoyed the public between the art museums. This was a series of alternate facing tropical colored chairs of woven plastic tubing. When rocked, the chairs chimed. 

Fun for seniors and kids. 

Time to spare, I stopped in at Denver’s massive public library and got a new library card. In the ladies’ room, a pair of young women were washing up, brushing teeth, and changing clothes.  I’d heard that the library had been overrun with the homeless. I hope the girls weren’t part of that group. 

I misread the bus schedule and had plenty of leisure to sit on the shady bench at my stop and read.  

The book, Factfulness by Hans Rosling is challenging, fascinating, and encouraging. He masterfully uses graphs and photos of four levels of economic development to explain “ten reasons why we’re wrong about the world”. But this physician/explainer-of-trends uses numbers unlike any statistics professor you’ve ever heard of. Each chapter starts with related anecdotes that made me chuckle, particularly the one about being served grubs—chapter 6, “The Generalization Instinct.”)

The more than half a day serving wasn't the drudgery I expected, but stimulation I enjoyed.

Thank you, Denver judiciary.