a birthday week

This week I was called to and attended jury duty for the first time. The case was an attempted murder where the defendant allegedly shot his girlfriend ten times. Ten times. Somehow, she survived.

I sat for two days in a courtroom listening to a judge and attorney's question 29 jurors regarding everything you would never want strangers to know. The invasion of privacy was shocking, and I sat cringing as a complete stranger told how her son had been murdered and thrown into the Hudson river; that yes, his body had been found and no, this would not affect her judgment in this particular case. They chose 3 out of the 29 questioned, and excused the remaining 11 they hadn't yet interrogated, including myself. If I had made it to the trial, it would have been a two to three week ordeal. Although my curiosity took over and at one point was eager to be a part of a justice being served, relief came when I knew that the next few weeks would not be filled with horrifying testimonials and haunting pictures of the scene of such a nauseating crime.



Friday was my birthday. I've never really been one for celebrating my own day of birth, as I would rather spend the time in a peaceful retreat. But after a rough day where I barely made it through work, I was treated to a low key dinner planned by a handful of my closest friends. Saturday I was visited by my parents, and we went to a museum that I had never heard of prior, but might just have become one of my favorites. I received many wonderful and unexpected gifts, and am spending my Sunday in a quiet reflection.