Whelp Friends. Not what I thought. I was grateful to be given the number 5 and taken from the big, hot, stinky room to the little, cold, dark courtroom where 55 potential jurors would be whittled down to 12 to decide the verdict in a 4-day trial involving a young man from a local gang involved in a drive-by shooting. I was not chosen. (I've been told that mental health professionals rarely are). Neither was the guy who said "The way I feel right now, anyone who does these crimes should be FRIED!" (Big surprise he wasn't picked, huh?). It was an interesting day...full of a LOT of waiting, but less waiting for me than the bored jurors-to-be who sat a full 8 hours in the juror assembly room doing nothing. I am, however...grateful for the legal system. And the following paragraph on the superior court website aimed at providing help for distress post-jury service...you will find my favorite sentence in large red font. I'm pretty sure this online counseling was not approved by anyone licensed. However, I may write it down on index cards and start giving it to clients. I recommend printing it out, & taping it to your mirrors. Sounds like a cure-all to me?
"... it may be helpful to be aware of the symptoms if they arise. Some temporary signs of distress following jury duty include: anxiety, sleep or appetite changes, moodiness, physical problems (e.g. headaches, stomach aches, no energy, and the like), second guessing your verdict, feeling guilty, fear, trouble dealing with issues or topics related to the case, a desire to be by yourself, or decreased concentration or memory problems. Symptoms may come and go, but will eventually go away. Remember you are having normal responses to an unusual experience.
To help yourself, it is important to admit any symptoms you may have and deal with any unpleasant reactions."
I love working with kids. SO much I love working with kids. Quote of the day from a darling 8-yr old girl:
