Public service in court never comes at an opportune time. First it was college, then it was medical school. Residency. And now with an impossibly tight work schedule that does not allow for 'days off'.
The last time I served, it was by telephone. I never had to go in. But for some reason, this time, I misunderstood how to apply for that. And I ended up taking a day off from work (with no pay!) to perform my civic duty.
Everything about Jury Duty was surreal this time. Here are some Reiki insights from the day:
1) traffic and checking up on time: I don't know about you, but for me, sometimes time seems to 'stretch'. Although I was ten minutes late, I checked in on time, and there were many others behind me. I missed nothing.
2) old unhappy memories revisited, a form of healing: Around the corner from the Juror Waiting Room was the place I went to petition for divorce. I am so blessed now to be out of that relationship, and where I am now. At the time, it seemed strange that the outcome of my life depended upon the decision of some stranger, a judge, and the government. Court is a very strange place indeed.
3) 'Happy and Willing Juror' speech: in the morning, an 'honorable' somebody (I think it might have been a judge) gave us a spiel about why we should be glad to be there. The list of ten reasons ranged from guilt (servicemen and women do more of a sacrifice), to sparking interest (you can see how the system works), to reality (you have to). At least they were trying to make it light. David Letterman, he wasn't. And again, how government can take away time from your life is a humbling experience.
4) Lunch; The only place in my life where I get a ninety-minute lunch! Aha! At last they do something right!
5) Compassion: This was where the doctor in me, and the Reiki got put to test. In my heart of hearts, I feel this was the reason why I was asked by the Universe to serve today...
I chose to leave the courthouse and enjoy the sunshine while I ate my packed lunch. As I walked outside, I saw a white-haired woman sitting on a bench. I smiled at her, a genuine warm Reiki-infused smile. Something told me to sit down next to her, when she touched her hand to her heart and said she had sat down 'because I need a rest'. Cardiac disease. Poor thing.
It was more than her heart. Eleven years ago, in a robbery, her husband was incapacitated. He did not die until five years later. She was here today for one of the last cases. Karuna kicked in, and I was deeply moved with compassion for her plight.
The healer in me kept the conversation light. Deliberately, after expressing the appropriate condolences, I asked, 'where did you get married?'. They were married in a courthouse in Las Vegas. They were so poor they didn't even spend the night in town, they drove back. This was in the late 1940's.
Her smile as she relived those days was as bright as the sun. Her aura shone with pleasure and joy at the remembrance of her husband. They had been married fifty-nine years. I probed further, 'when was your anniversary?' It was in June. 'And how did you meet?' It was a classic date-with-destiny, meeting a friend of a friend because even though it was raining, she was hungry, and took a friend with her out to a place to eat. She knew at once she was going to marry him.
She reached into her torn wallet, and showed me an old, folded up, falling apart picture of a young serviceman sitting on a bench under an arch of flowers. That was her Cedric, the one that hated the name and went by the nickname, 'Plucky'.
Betsy, that was her name, expressed guilt at having kept him alive on a ventilator for so long. She wasn't sure if she did the right thing or not. It was hard for her to turn it off, after having been married to him for so long. And she said, 'One day, when I was really sad and talking to him about how awful everything was, I saw a tear run out his eye and down his cheek. Even though he couldn't talk because of the tracheostomy, I knew he was in there. He died of a pneumonia, when it was his time.'
I comforted her, as only a Reiki doctor can. I met her daughter, Lee, and they both walked away, their terrible burden lightened temporarily, never knowing who they met, or what I had done on their behalf. And that Plucky had brought her back to the courthouse one last time...
6) News: The streets are lined bumper to bumper with news vans. And inside is a microphone stand, surrounded by rays of electrical cords and an arc of camera stands. Twice I saw them by the stairs, with crews, awaiting the news of some court decision. News. They had it blaring in the Jury Room the whole day too. Fear. Why do they keep trying to sell it?
7) Love of Light: I can't think of a better place to beam Love and Light than the Judicial system. Seriously, this place is hell on earth. One man, a judge of some sorts on the escalator going the opposite way, recoiled at me...his energy, and I sensed it, was very Dark indeed. The money being spent in this pit of Darkness, and the disputes being sorted out are like a black hole sucking the life out of society.
Once the veil is raised, and our Intent is fathomable by everybody, nothing can hide. Therefore, there will be no toying with appearances and status quo and worldliness to arrive at a decision. Everyone will 'just know' who is at fault, and why they did it. No evidence will be necessary. No prosecution. No defense. There is Universal Law, and that's it. And the price for having trespassed it, is Karmanic Debt.
Namaste,
Reiki Doc
