So I forgot to write my letter to get out of jury duty. And I have out-of-town company.

But here’s the thing: I sort of felt like maybe I shouldn’t write a letter to get out of it. It’s part of the deal, right? Part of my civic responsibility. And while I am my child’s primary caregiver, except for those afternoons the grandmas have her, I know I can arrange for it if and when there’s a trial this month (we’re “on call” all month here in our county – you call on Monday and find out if there’s duty on Friday and the following Monday).

Just who do I think I’m being an example to? My daughter is far too young to notice that Mommy’s going out of her way for this jury duty thing (which most people regard as among the worst kinds of public service). My out-of-town company is being a good sport about it, though I’m pretty sure she’s rolling her eyes a bit at me (with good cause).

It’s my first time doing jury duty, and I can’t imagine that it’s so bad. Yeah, it’s an inconvenience. But it is my civic responsibility, right? Right?