A few years back, I decided to put together a group of photos that represented each month of my year. It was fun to take that stroll down memory lane and attempt to summarize my monthly activities with a one-paragraph social media post. Sure, some ridiculed me for thinking anyone would care, but it turns out several people did and I received a lot of feedback about how much they enjoyed getting to see that.
That was then, however, and this is now. 2019 was an incredible year for me. Even with a slow start, things picked up quickly and by the end, I can definitely say it has been one of my favorite years. So, what I have decided to do this time around is actually blog about the year in two-month increments. This allows me to get back to writing - something I vowed to do more of this year - and also remind myself and anyone who cares to know about what a fun and interesting year I had.
My 2019 started off with something I had always wanted to do but had never been asked. Sure, that could be just about anything, but for me it was being called to serve my country as a member of a federal grand jury (actually, any jury duty would have been great). Many of you already knew about this, but there may be some who are hearing about it for the first time. That first day was particularly interesting given that I thought I was reporting for a one-week jury duty at the most. It turned out I was reporting for a full-year commitment that required I be there at least the first Tuesday of every month.
The first day was especially interesting given that we had an ice storm roll in that led to several school and business closings throughout the day. We were required to report despite the bad weather, and I watched as several people attempted to find a way out of being required to serve on the panel. Some did, and some did not. Most were like me and just remained in their seats as staff weeded through the names and the judge talked to various people about why they felt they couldn’t serve.
As the time came for them to select the 23 people who were going to be named to the jury for 2019, my name was called second. With the mystery out of the way, the nearly two dozen of us were sent to a jury room and we began hearing cases until around 6 that evening. And as unusual and unique as that day was, I experienced even more days like it as a federal grand juror for the next 11 months as well. There were some good and bad cases and some stressful moments, but the overall experience was incredible and I hope to get to be a part of it again some day.
My January wasn’t all about jury duty, but that was far and away the most interesting part of the start of 2019. I also bought a guitar, a new yoga mat and a 50-inch tv for the living room. I decided to make some improvements to my life and do some things I had never done before. I went back to planning a trip I had always wanted to take (more on that in a later post) and I began planning ahead to enjoy more experiences.
With those goals in mind for 2019, I focused initially on work and getting prepared for whatever the year threw my way. February was mostly uneventful minus a trip I got to take to Amelia Island, Florida, which is right outside of Jacksonville. As a work conference trip, it was mostly work and definitely all rain. That, however, didn’t ruin the trip and I absolutely appreciated getting to learn more about ways to be better at how I do things at work. And I made a handful of new friends during my time there. The downside is that same conference is being held in Palm Springs, California, so it appears I may have picked the wrong year to go.
Yes, my 2019 got off to an interesting but somewhat uneventful start. But the year got better. Way better. Check back soon and you’ll see how much busier it got in March and April.
No comments:
Post a Comment