For the Love of Brick and Mortar Independent Bookstores

This bookstore has a little cafe at the front of the store, by those huge windows. There are multiple comfortable seating areas and nooks, so people can sit comfortably and look at books. There is plenty of walking space and arm space, even if people sit on the floor next to the bookcases. This bookstore still boasts plenty of books, from the floor to near the ceiling. This place has complementary wi-fi. It is independently owned, not just another chain store.

Though I am careful about where my money goes and how it is spent, I would spend a bit extra to support the independently owned bookstores who work hard to serve the community and have a history of supporting and defending its patrons valiantly.

And, on my way out of the store, I saw a line formation set-up, ready for a book signing later. Not that I am scoping out for possible locations for when the book is published and rolling.

Rain Will Produce Success and Flourishing

Rain can blur visibility or create a huge mess (when non-stop for a prolonged amount of time), but rain also provides needed sustenance for life.

It seems as if I am a jack of many trades, but a master of none. I have learned to do many things I would have never thought myself figuring out how to do. And passing time adds more to the list of trades I must figure out how to complete. Being a master of none is disconcerting, not so much because my identity is intimately tied to being master of something or anything, but more so because monetary stability and success requires such.

Or, so I thought.

I am slow at learning that what I thought would be my life career may not look quite like what I had envisioned; and, I am gradually realizing that that is okay. The skills that were and are being refined, sharpened, and perfected, are still vital to the work I do, just in a different way.

My ability to see how things will look is not crystal clear; I can make out just enough to tell that what will happen will produce flourishing. I suppose that will have to do for now.

Riddle Me This: Where Did Sally's Lunch Go?

One morning, a parent takes out lunchboxes out of the refrigerator for her children to take to school. Each rectangular lunchbox has a larger compartment and a smaller compartment. On this particular morning, a sandwich is in the larger compartment, and fresh strawberries (which are cut-up) and blueberries are in the smaller compartment. Cut-up honeydew is in the separate compartment, but that is not part of the puzzle; so, we shall not mention the separate (which appears purple in the photograph below) compartment again. After making sure the lids are securely fastened on to each container, the parent, let us call her 'Mama', places the children's containers into each of the two children's lunch bags, which are resting on the kitchen table.

Mama steps away from the kitchen for approximately 20 minutes, while the children - whom we shall call 'Sally' and 'Indigo' - are supposed to be getting ready for school. They have to get dressed, go to the bathroom, brush their hair, put their snacks, water bottles, and lunches into their own backpacks, and set their backpacks and jackets by the door. On this particular morning, they are also rushing to get some writing done before breakfast.

***

Mama has finished getting ready for the day and hears commotion from the girls. She finds out that most of the sandwich (the sandwich meat, cheese, and most of the white on the bread) and all of the strawberries and blueberries are gone from the 8 1/2 year old's (Sally's) lunch bag, which is still sitting on the kitchen table.

Nothing has been eaten or taken out of the 7 year old's (Indigo's) lunch bag. And, Indigo has already placed her lunch bag inside her backpack and put the backpack by the door.

***

Sally is upset that her lunch is gone. She adamantly claims that she had nothing to do with the disappearance of her lunch.

Indigo also insists she (Indigo) did not touch her sister's lunch.

***

There is no way the family pets: one kitten (who is nearly a cat) and one young cat, could have opened the lid and eaten the contents. Take this as a given (fact).

***

Sally, on occasion, has been known to tell only a part of the truth (leaving out vital parts of the story) or flat out lie. However, regarding food, Sally is usually honest.

Indigo has, on a few occasions, secretly eaten food in the kitchen without permission and lied about not eating the missing food and blaming the missing food on the cats or claiming ignorance. In those circumstances, there was evidence that Indigo had, in fact, eaten certain foods in question. For these reasons, Indigo has been told that she is not supposed to go to the kitchen unattended.

Also important to note is that from time to time, Indigo might say something about someone that is not necessarily true. Whether this is intentional or not is not known. Sally has also been known to say something that does not reflect the truth, though not intentionally.

***

Uncertain who ate the lunch, Sally or Indigo, and who is lying, Mama decides to smell the breath of each child. Indigo's breath does not smell like anything in particular but stinks of morning breath. Sally's breath smells like berries.

Seems like the answer is obvious.

When Mama confronts Sally, Sally's reaction was so strong and she was quite offended. She said something to the effect of, "My head does not usually feel this uncomfortable or my stomach this unsettled after I have eaten. Explain that."

With the Mama's severe allergies and the fact that olfactory senses have been limited, there is the possibility that her sense of smell could have misled her. So, Mama asks Indigo to smell Sally's breath."

Indigo claims Sally's breath smells like blueberries. With the concern that Indigo sometimes lies or does not tell the truth, Mama asks to smell both of the girls' breaths yet again. This time Mama asks each child to blow in her (Mama's) face. Same results - Indigo's breath does not smell aromatic but does not smell of anything in particular. With much resistance and protest, Sally finally blows her breath onto Mama's face. Still smells like berries.

Sally is angry and frustrated that she is allegedly being blamed for something she did not do.

***

What happened to Sally's lunch? What would you (putting yourself in the position of Mama) do in this situation?

How Fulfilling Jury Duty Obligations Shocked Me

What bothered me about being summoned was NOT the fact that I was bored.

I was not bored.

The process, though tedious, was well-organized. Some fifty of us prospective jurors were assembled and instructed on how the process would go. After we were all signed in and the witnesses for the case were advised on what to expect (in a separate room from the prospective jurors), we were ushered into a different room for more directions and instructions. Then, through random selection, eight prospective jurors, at a time, were chosen to answer the same set of questions, juror by juror. I was in that first group of prospective jurors randomly chosen. 

After listening to each of eight prospective jurors answer the list of questions, the attorneys on each side had to agree upon which jurors to use. The attorneys were able to agree upon six of the eight prospective jurors in the first group called up.

I was one of the chosen six.

The process of signing in to jury selection took a lengthy two and a half hours.

What bothered me was NOT the fact that spending three days listening to the trial was inconvenient.

I would be lying if I did not admit that taking two full days and half a third day did not cause a disruption to my already hectic daily schedule. I haven't mastered being two places at once. As a result of two and a half days devoted to being a juror, I am quite behind.

There were also some other matters that were of tremendous concern. Thanks be to God, several wonderful friends were available and helped in fulfilling and completing those matters.

I must admit that long hours of paying attention to all the words spoken, body language expressed, and laws presented had no small impact in my exhaustion and mood.

What Shocked Me Were Two Things

1. How nasty adult quarrels/fights are and how costly the fights end up being.

Perhaps I should not at all be shocked or surprised by this. But I was impacted deeply by this. As much as I tried to put the matters out of my mind whilst not in session and at home for the night, I felt nauseated and uneasy.

Everyone fights, children and adults alike. But, adult quarrels can be quite nasty and costly.

2. Some attorneys reinforce the (sometime erroneous) reputation attorneys have for twisting and manipulating the truth.

One attorney in the case could easily be diagnosed as histrionic, with his boisterous yelling, wild hand gesturing, and sometimes jumping up and down and slamming his hand on the podium.

In between and throughout the trial, the same aforementioned attorney was blatantly throwing out fallacies of all sorts - red herrings, ad hominems, appeals to pity, and all kinds of other fun stuff - as 'evidence' of how the opposing side was wrong and should suffer penalties.

I am thankful all the fellow jury members were sensible and focused on what both parties accepted as facts, the exhibits, the testimonies, and applicable law. We were able to come to unanimous decisions with ease (and careful attention to details).

***

When all was said and done and the verdict was recorded in court, all the jurors, men and women alike, were ready to disappear and blend into the crowd. We were all a bit fearful for our safety.

Now that the case is over, I am ready for my decadent coffee.

And I am ready to jump in puddles, muddy or not.