Thursday, February 07, 2008

Jury Duty 2008

Well, here I sit, sequestered in a jury room in downtown L.A. doing my good civil service. At this point, I don't know why I didn't just throw the darn thing away since they can't track whether or not you received your notice. I am the type of person that would do something like that and then feel guilty and lose sleep over it. So here I am.


And I should have brought my laptop, but lo and behold, for some reason I didn't, so I am hogging the public computer writing about the many observations I've had thus far.


First, no one is really inclined to talk to each other, get to know each other etc. Everyone pretty much sits in isolation sipping their Starbuck's (at least we have one next door!) and keeping to themselves on their Crackberry's, laptops (alas, some people were wiser than I) and reading.


I am too antsy to read right now. Wouldn't mind doing a yoga pose or two. Would it be strange to bust out a headstand?


I have already combed the room for good looking men. No one really caught my eye, but I haven't looked that hard either. Although, I did catch one guy looking at me as I glanced up from my YogiTimes.


I can feel people staring at me wondering when the hell I am going to get off the computer. I am feeling less than generous today to share.


Note to all potential jury servers: Bring a laptop if you have it. At least in downtown L.A. they have wireless.


I could also use this time to meditate since I woke up late and missed my morning meditation.


I've opted out of that too. I really just want to sit on the internet all day and explore facebook and watch youtube. Isn't this the perfect time for just that? For some reason I feel I have a free pass to not work and engage in mindless activity that I never allow myself to do, even on the weekend. I now see how people distract themselves with such fodder while working a desk job.


I am not even missing my workout today. We'll see how I feel about that if I have to be down here tomorrow. I'll most likely be found running laps around the courthouse.


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love that you share every day stuff with us, like spotting someone looking at you. So cool. Did you get picked for jury duty?

Amy

Anonymous said...

Do people recognize you? Because I would be like, "Oh my gosh, hi!"

Amy

Courtney said...

Jennifer Galardi, I thought I totally hated you because you made me workout today, but after reading your blog, I totally love you!

I posted in my own blog this morning thinking about how bitter I was over the fact of having to work out, but really...I feel connected to you! Sorry if this is too weird.

Your blog made me like you, that's all. :)

Anonymous said...

Someone encourging your to use your able-bodied body to move and be healthy would make you "hate" a person? Get over your shallow self and think of a real reason to love or hate someone.

Let's support Jennifer now as she goes through a very real time of struggle and contemplation, a place we've all been.

David Tarrell said...

I found your blog after searching for Zen in your den, as it just expired on my exercise tv free yoga workout sampler.

This post was interesting to me as I'm a lawyer and turned to yoga as a way to relax. It seemed a better way to effect a major change than simply getting into shape thru running or lifting.

I also sensed something I wanted in the yoga instructors as they seemed much more relaxed than the other fitness instructors, making yoga seem like more of a means to an end than just a workout.

I've also been listening to Joseph Campbell audiotapes and he describes yoga as something to the effect of "intentionally stopping the mindstuff from its random activity." This was intriguing as I always thought it was just intense, low impact stretching.

So, your yoga video, Zen, inspired me and I'm going to order it, hoping it'll help in my law practice and also personally.

What advice would you give to the lawyers who did the trial you saw, if they were to ask you how they could have better connected with you?

Were they boring? Too intellectual? What could yoga have taught them?

Thanks for the videos. I really enjoy them.