jury duty day

[Guest guest]

Namah Sivaya all,

 

Thought i'd update everyone on the municipal seva (jury duty) day.  As

i sat in the huge room with the other 150 people or so that were

asking to be excused, i was sick with worry that i would have to miss

the beginning of the tour with my daughter if i couldn't convince the

judge that i should be excused.  Seriously, i was nauseous with worry

and aprehension.  About 3 or 4 PM, as i sat there, i remembered what i

already had known, but for some reason had decided to go the drama

route: Mother's will be done.  It all lifted off of me.  i opened my

Awaken Children V. 4 and began reading.  I would read for a bit, then

chant my mantra for a bit, then read some more.  I would look at the

pictures of Mother in the book as i said my mantra and after a bit i

closed my eyes and there she was, smiling at me! She seemed to be

chiding me... "You silly boy."

 

As the moment passed and i returned to the book, here is what faced

me.  The words of Amme Yennu Loru:

 

Why is it that my hairs stand on end

When I remember the word 'Amma'?

Why do I forget everything else

When I think of Mother, my Mother?

 

Thirst and hunger have left me,

I have also forgotten my daily bath,

I know not what day or date this is,

I forget everything in the thought of mother.

 

What is my mind pining for?

Why does my body tremble when I look

At the blue sea, the blue sky

And the white clouds?

Mother's sweet form

Is a solace for suffering minds,

Now my only thought is

When will I see her again?

When will mother come to me?

 

It didn't take long for a big smile to settle all over me and i knew

everything would be fine.

When, at about 5:15, it was my turn to sit at the table with the

Judge, lawyers and court people, i walked up with a huge smile filling

me entirely and sat in the chair and beamed at all of them.  These

poor people had been sitting there all day listening to reason after

reason that people felt were important enough in their worlds to

warrant excusal.  They were tired and probably sad because of all the

requests that they had to deny because, even though they were

hardships in the lives of the petitioners, didn't fall into the

definition of a legal reason for excusal.  I didn't envy them.

 

As i beamed my smile to each of them, things just seemed to relax.

They smiled back and the Judge asked me to explain my reason.  I told

him very briefly that i had a religious event that my daughter and i

were attending and that we would be leaving to drive to Seattle about

the 26th.  (The trial was to start next Monday and was projected to go

to the jury in 2 weeks.)  I handed him a printout from the website

with the schedule and he looked at it, commented that it was a very

set schedule starting on June first in Seattle and if i served, would

make things very tight.  One of the lawyers reminded him that we

planned to leave on the 26th and stated that he felt i should be

excused.  The judge smiled and asked the other attorney.  He agreed

and the Judge made the order to the Clerk and we all had a round of

big smiles as i thanked them and left.

 

Passing through as Amma mows down obstacles,

Mike

[Guest guest]

Hooray! Cool! Jai Ma!

  

  love,

  

  Prajna

 

Mike Montoya <mmm (AT) yosemite (DOT) net> wrote:

  Namah Sivaya all,

 

Thought i'd update everyone on the municipal seva (jury duty) day.  As

i sat in the huge room with the other 150 people or so that were

asking to be excused, i was sick with worry that i would have to miss

the beginning of the tour with my daughter if i couldn't convince the

judge that i should be excused.  Seriously, i was nauseous with worry

and aprehension.  About 3 or 4 PM, as i sat there, i remembered what i

already had known, but for some reason had decided to go the drama

route: Mother's will be done.  It all lifted off of me.  i opened my

Awaken Children V. 4 and began reading.  I would read for a bit, then

chant my mantra for a bit, then read some more.  I would look at the

pictures of Mother in the book as i said my mantra and after a bit i

closed my eyes and there she was, smiling at me! She seemed to be

chiding me... "You silly boy."

 

As the moment passed and i returned to the book, here is what faced

me.  The words of Amme Yennu Loru:

 

Why is it that my hairs stand on end

When I remember the word 'Amma'?

Why do I forget everything else

When I think of Mother, my Mother?

 

Thirst and hunger have left me,

I have also forgotten my daily bath,

I know not what day or date this is,

I forget everything in the thought of mother.

 

What is my mind pining for?

Why does my body tremble when I look

At the blue sea, the blue sky

And the white clouds?

Mother's sweet form

Is a solace for suffering minds,

Now my only thought is

When will I see her again?

When will mother come to me?

 

It didn't take long for a big smile to settle all over me and i knew

everything would be fine.

 

When, at about 5:15, it was my turn to sit at the table with the

Judge, lawyers and court people, i walked up with a huge smile filling

me entirely and sat in the chair and beamed at all of them.  These

poor people had been sitting there all day listening to reason after

reason that people felt were important enough in their worlds to

warrant excusal.  They were tired and probably sad because of all the

requests that they had to deny because, even though they were

hardships in the lives of the petitioners, didn't fall into the

definition of a legal reason for excusal.  I didn't envy them.

 

As i beamed my smile to each of them, things just seemed to relax.

They smiled back and the Judge asked me to explain my reason.  I told

him very briefly that i had a religious event that my daughter and i

were attending and that we would be leaving to drive to Seattle about

the 26th.  (The trial was to start next Monday and was projected to go

to the jury in 2 weeks.)  I handed him a printout from the website

with the schedule and he looked at it, commented that it was a very

set schedule starting on June first in Seattle and if i served, would

make things very tight.  One of the lawyers reminded him that we

planned to leave on the 26th and stated that he felt i should be

excused.  The judge smiled and asked the other attorney.  He agreed

and the Judge made the order to the Clerk and we all had a round of

big smiles as i thanked them and left.

 

Passing through as Amma mows down obstacles,

Mike