A Decision

For 10 days I have been going to the court house for my jury duty.  Finally today it all came to an end.  It was a difficult trial with the only evidence was witness testimony.  No physical or scientific evidence of any kind.  Just some people's word against others.  I learned a lot from this process.  I learned that we are very fortunate to have our judicial system, but that it is a flawed system nonetheless.  I learned that as much as people say they will not bring their biases to the deliberating room they still creep in.  I learned that no matter who you are, what oath you have taken or what job of authority you hold, you are capable of lying and being deceptive.  I learned what makes sense to me may not necessarily make sense to those around me, even if we heard the same thing.  I learned that I can hold my ground even if I am in the minority.  Most important I learned that trusting my instincts will always be the right thing to do and that I didn't convict an innocent young man for something he didn't do.  I don't know what will happen with the young man on trial, but I pray that whatever got him to this place will help him to get to a better place.  A place where he can be well and do good things with his life. 

Always listen to your instincts.  They will serve you well because they are rarely if ever wrong.  Can you remember the last time your instincts helped you out?