So I got my jury summons in November and am scheduled for duty January 23 - February 3. And the court didn't need me to go in yesterday, so I went to work instead. Then the hotline told me to report today, so this morning I trek downtown, pretty happy because I was actually looking forward to this. I intentionally park 6 blocks away from the courthouse because it's sunny and warm, and I love a pleasant stroll.
UNTIL my heel gets caught on something in the middle of State Street and I go falling flat on my face! Yes, in the street. So I'm laying there, and does anyone stop? No!!! There was at least 1 person and 2 cars who I know witnessed the whole thing, with nary an "are you okay?" concern from any of them. I manage to get myself up, feeling blood running down my leg, and I collect my assorted crap from the road then hobble to the sidewalk to assess my situation. My shoes are ruined. My favorite pair of pants (from scoring a killer deal at Banana Republic) are ripped beyond repair. I have 30 minutes to be in court and am four blocks away. *Sigh* I hobbled the remaining four blocks and up three floors to check in, and then the clerk tells me she doesn't need me for duty! What?!?
As I sit here nursing my throbbing knee, I reflect on the events of the morning. First of all, are all courts always so disorganized? I WAS actually enthusiastic about serving on a jury, but now I'm starting to understand why people hate being summoned. For the next two weeks, my schedule is at the mercy of these people who can't make up their minds about what they're doing! If every business was run like our government, our economy would collapse.
I can't help thinking, too, about "diffusion of responsibility". I learned of it in college. It's when something happens in public when someone needs help, and everyone assumes someone else will step in, so no one actually does anything. Apparently the fewer people who are around, the more likely the person is to receive help. Unfortunately that didn't occur for me, because there were only a few people around and I was ignored by all of them. And I really could've used somebody to help me stop the bleeding or to give me a ride or something. Even when I finally made it to a bathroom to clean myself up, I was sitting in the floor tending to my bloody leg and trying not to pass out, and the cleaning lady was mopping around me!
I guess you could say that today I lost a bit of faith in humanity. It makes me all the more thankful for God. He's always right there loving me even when other people couldn't care less, and I got a nice reminder today that the only one I can truly depend on is Him. How many more times will I fall on my face (although perhaps not literally)? Who will be there?
