I didn't sit on the steps, crying, wondering what could have been. But during the TRAX ride home, I did reflect on the day's experience. How had my perceptions changed so much? Why did I expect my morning to be a waste of time, but end up feeling it had been time well spent? And why did I scoff at that $18.50 when I received it, but later feel that I would have been happy to do my civic duty with no remuneration at all?

I guess some jobs are inherently valuable and necessary, and based on my brief experience, "juror" is among them.

That got me thinking of the worthwhile parts of my own job. It's still stressful, challenging and frustrating at times, but it also has the potential to be fun, exciting and rewarding. And if I look for its value and worth on a daily basis, instead of focusing on the negative, I'll be much more likely to leave each day feeling like my hours at work have been time well spent.

Doing so will be my goal in the weeks and months to come. I'll let you know in a future column whether I feel like I'm succeeding.

Meanwhile, if you have financial questions or comments, send them to gkratz@desnews.com or to the Deseret News, P.O. Box 1257, Salt Lake City, UT 84110.

E-mail: gkratz@desnews.com