Feeling Under Duress

there is something especially decadent about a friday evening spent at home in your pjs. its extra lovely if you've had a really long, tiring week and have just finished an ice cream sandwich (and have a yummy autumn inspired candle burning).

its been one of those weeks we all have from time to time where you don't get to sit down, barely get to check your emails, have to get up early and fall into bed at night still holding a long list of to-dos that remain undone -weeks where you just didn't have enough time in your hours. it has been a week like that for me. over the past week in my professional world, i spent many hours in various courthouses around the area - all because i had to be there. sometimes i was on the witness stand, but mostly i sat in various hallways and witness waiting rooms and areas- feeling like i was being held hostage from my life in a way. you see, in these various rooms and hallways, you're not really allowed to speak with those around you, its frowned upon if you chat on your phone for extended periods of time (and most of your friends are working anyways), you honestly can only review your cases for so long and then you are just there sitting in quiet. no email, no conversation, no phone- isolated from the world and w-a-i-t-i-n-g. (okay so that might be a tad dramatic but it feels true).

so at one point this week as i sat on the witness stand watching a jury watch me, i couldn't help but think that they too were being held hostage a little bit. here they were, 12 strangers forced to sit, listen, be still, be quiet, be out of touch with their friends, family and world...and forced to listen to me speak. i felt for them because those chairs are not comfortable and what i was saying was not pleasant to listen to or hear about. but i felt that they were somehow able to understand my plight: we were all probably wishing we were somewhere else that was a little bit more comfortable and a lot more fun.

don't get me wrong, we were all there in these various courtrooms and courthouses for a good purpose. we were fulfilling our duty as citizens and public servants and i would do it all again tomorrow if necessary, but sometimes when you are going into hour 4 or 5 of just sitting and waiting for your name to be called...and its the third day in a row you've had to do this...well...let me just say it makes you pretty happy when your name gets called, you share your testimony with the court and are then released. the best words you can hear in that situation are "the witness may step down and is released."

hearing that phrase is like telling a child its recess time- you can GO! yes! you are free now to go and do whatever you want whenever you want! unfortunately i was exhausted so i chose to come home to my cozy house, put on my pjs, pour a glass of wine, watch a few minutes of the Ghost Whisperer (what is that show by the way?) flipped open my laptop and emailed, blogged, and facebooked with my friends and am now trying to decide what i want to do next. ahh personal freedom. what a gift it is. i certainly have an improved appreciation for it tonight.