Tips For Surviving Jury Duty

Okay. I admit it. I don't like receiving my summons to jury duty. At this point in the game, though, I get it. I don't have a choice. None whatsoever. Since I can't always count on having friends at my side while I do my civic duty, I have learned to take care of myself during the process.
Planning for jury duty is a little like preparing for a long airplane flight. The seats will be uncomfortable, the recirculated air will become stale, the hours will seem long, and eventually the restrooms will get pretty funky. Knowing all of this actually helps me prepare.
Once I know my reporting date, I carefully select a book to take along. I begin looking forward to reading it. I don't ever take a hard back book. They weigh too much and I want to keep the load light. I bring along several light and healthy snacks and a bottle of water. I bring layers of clothing because temperature control seems beyond the ability of our entire judicial system. The most important thing I bring along is positive energy. The energy in a room full of unhappy people who don't want to be there can be pretty depleting. It takes a lot of calm to counteract that negativity.
Finally, once I'm headed to the court, I simply let go of wanting to be elsewhere. I board the plane, listen to the safety instructions, and really, truly let it be. Just as long flights end, jury duty plays itself out. I'm not in charge of either journey. Besides, you never know who you'll meet along the way. Sometimes you meet friends and sometimes you make friends.
Drink lots of water. Read a good book. Eat a few Red Vines. Spend the per diem pay foolishly.
The events of our lives don't matter nearly as much as the meanings we give them.