In years past I would have blogged about each of these things individuallly because they were part of my everyday experiences and I would have wanted to share them. Because I haven’t blogged regularly for quite awhile, though, I missed the opportunity to share these with you when they occurred. I’d still like to share them because they were interesting experiences!
Hosting Tea for a Friend
I’ve been a collector of “tea things” for several years, but oddly enough, I’m not a huge tea drinker. (I know, it’s weird, right??) Still, I do enjoy a cup occasionally. I have been Facebook friends with a sweet gal named Robin for quite some time, but we never created an opportunity to meet in person – until January of 2022 when I hosted “tea time” for her! The occasion was simple – I was down-sizing a bit of my dinnerware collection, and she had a good cause she invited me to donate some of them to. She was willing to come pick them up, making the donation an absolutely easy YES for me – so I invited her to come for tea!
We enjoyed a trio of tea treats and “choice” from the basket of Twining’s individual tea selections, and a solid two hours of wonderful conversation. As we wound things down she took my donated dishes out to her vehicle with the promise of sharing them with refugee families in need – it was a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon!
Jury Duty
Also in the category of new experiences – jury duty! I’ve actually been called for jury duty three times. The first time, I had just turned 18 and was a newly registered voter. I was interviewed to serve on a medical malpractice trial, but excused. The second time I was in my mid-forties and although I appeared at the courthouse as scheduled, I was not selected to be interviewed.
Well, third time’s a charm apparently – in January I was called, interviewed, and selected to serve. I know people generally abhor being called for jury duty, and strive to get out of it. But this was not my attitude. At one point, after everyone had been interviewed, the judge began calling out juror numbers and asking us to stand. I assumed we were going to be dismissed and escorted out. But instead he said, “Mr. Prosecutor, is this your jury?” The reply, “Yes your honor.” In my mind I literally thought “Wait – what??” Then, “Mr. Defense Attorney, is this your jury?” The reply, “Yes, your honor.” It seems silly to say it, but I got a bit choked up. In that moment I realized I’d been given a serious responsibility, and even though the trial involved relatively minor criminal offenses, I felt that our defendant deserved full and thoughtful consideration of the facts and testimony, by jurors who understand that restricting someone’s liberty is a very big deal indeed. Yes, it was an inconvenience – especially having become as spoiled as I have working from home and no longer facing a morning commute into the downtown area – but it was absolutely an experience worth having.
