Jury Duty

When I got the summons in the mail, I was annoyed, but only a little, because I assumed nothing would come of it. Since moving to America two decades ago, I’ve been summoned for jury duty four times. Each time, I would dutifully call the number at the specified time, only to be told that my duty was completed, having done nothing at all. That is what annoyed me most about the letter I held in my hand: it was a false promise (or idle threat, depending on how you view the duty.) I actually looked forward to serving on a jury, so for me, every letter was an annoying but predictable journey of hope, excitement, and disappointment. I couldn’t help but take it a bit personally. My services were not needed. I was not wanted. Rejected outright, without so much as a chance to show my skills! But this time was different. At first it seemed like a business as usual—when I called at the allotted time, it told me I had to call back at another time. (Great.) I was supposed to call the next day…