Tuesday, November 04, 2008

first time voter

As I am standing in line waiting for the door to open, letting in the long line of people waiting to excercise their right to vote, I am listening to everyone around me talk about where they have voted before and what a pain it always is. I am excited and just trying to take it all in (and make sure I am in the right line) The group I am standing in exchanges their stories and then stop talking and look at me, waiting to hear my voting stories or jokes and I meekly say, "this is my first time to vote". After they narrowed their eyes a little, one man spoke up and said "well, this election really stirred up some issues now didn't it" to which I replied "no, I just figured I am 30 years old and have not ever felt relevant, that my vote would not matter. But this time around I wanted to pay attention so I did and here I am"
For the millionith time I thought to myself "I can't wait for this election to be over"
Eventually we shuffle in and what do we have, broken machines and yet another line. It was divided up into two precients (and of course mine had more people in it making the line longer). I made my way up to check in and get my ballot and got in yet another line. Reading over the ballot I saw the ammendment for allowing "idiots and insane" people the right to vote. I will not even start on how disgusted that made me because it is a whole different post.I will say, no person should be called an idiot or insane person (because of disability or mental illness that is).
Finally it was my turn and I made my way to the makeshift voting station. See, in order to help the line along the volunteer had gone into the kitchen of the church that I was voting at and grabbed three of those plastic crates that you use to run dishes through a dishwasher and formed a screen out of that.I heard a man say, only in Arkansas.
So I voted. I didn't know who some of the candidates were so I did the I like that name, or this one is a woman thing and in true Wendy fasion I saved the president of the United States for last. In my head I heard a drumroll and cymbols as I colored in the little black circle. I walked up to the voter ballot box and slid mine in there.and I left.
I left feeling like a grown up (usually I still feel like a kid that is pretending to play grown up).I felt for once I was being a responsible, contributing grown up. Such a small thing I know for some because you have always done this everytime voting time came around. But I never cared before. Never had the thought if everyone thought like I did, noone would ever vote. Change would never come. And how can you complain (which I do in spades) about something when you do nothing to change it? I feel like if my candidate wins or loses, it's okay but I was still a part of that. A supporter.
I do dread tonight. My husband has already claimed the big screen for the entire coverage (all 8 hours of it) so I have resigned myself to the fact that I have to watch my shows from my bedroom. Dan gets interested in this election for entirely different reasons and is very passionate about the outcome. I don't even want to think about the mood he will be in if Obama loses. To him it's about the possibility of his children and grand children seeing a black man in a position of leadersip and the inspiration and encouragement they will get from that. That they will see their skin color as just what it is, a color and not a barrier.
My next post will not be so deep. and I will say again, I can't wait for this election to be over!!!!

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