Jury Duty

I have this little black notebook that I carry around with me everywhere, to jot down random thoughts or things I want to remember and all that jazz. I was reading through it last night and happened upon this little entry I wrote during a hellish experience at jury duty I had last year. It made me chuckle a little so I thought I'd share it.

"7/31
Nestled into a corner next to the sounds of a bathroom, staring one by one at the backs of heads and the choices of footwear. Cold air conditioning over compensates for the lack of breath exchanged. Silent we remain. Yes we are strangers to each other but not to the situation. We're all in this together! At this point in time our stories intersect. We sit together in silence, I listen to you pee. A moment of intimacy between two miserable people. Sound familiar? She's aging, with photos of grandchildren in her purse (no doubt) and she's got on shoes I would buy for my 10 year old niece. Hipster slip-ons from Hot Topic. Typical. His head is misshapen. A vast exposed scalp shows a dent and I wonder if that's just how it goes or if he has an explanation. How does one truly cope with such a transformation as baldness? I can't imagine a lack of hair right now, not with this absurdly cold A/C blowing at me. But I thought ahead. As I dressed I thought, 'I'm going to end up in some room with efficient air conditioning, better bring a jacket.' I always think ahead. What a bright little thing I am. That ceiling fan seems hardly relevant right now."


Just a little glimpse into the realm of my random thoughts.