Jury Duty

Interesting thing about jury duty is it's the one place people are more likely to talk to strangers then completely melt into their own little world, whether world consists of a good book, homework or a "smart" device. I don't know if it's the generally shared dread of being picked that makes folks more willing to chat, or the constant warning of silence and stay off your cell phones, but you don't see that as much anymore. 

I have a friend who is giving up social media for Lent, so they can spend more time with God and invest time in people. It sounds kind of counter intuitive, but after my recent jury duty experience I get where they are coming from and am curious to see how things play out in the upcoming month for them. 

Next time you have to report for jury duty by all means bring a book, but I challenge you to see if you can't strike up a conversation. It doesn't have to be long, or continue for the duration of your service. But I promise fail or succeed it'll be interesting. As Grandpa always said "everyone's got a story to tell" and who knows, maybe you'll meet a neighbor you never knew existed.