I Lean to the Left…….
My first time was in 1984. I was nineteen years old, but I was confident, proud, self-assured and completely unafraid. I had read up, done some research, talked to friends who had done it before and picked up a few pointers. This was going to be a monumental experience in my life. A coming of age moment. I may have even showered. I know I put on a clean shirt. And I had begun a relationship with whom I felt was the perfect person.
It was all over in a matter of minutes–seconds, really. And it didn’t hurt like some people had told me it was going to. Yep, I was 19 years old and officially–a voter. I’ve done it at least every four years since, you know, to keep in practice. Keep my skills sharp as it were. Many years I have been adamant and strongly in favor of a particular candidate. I enjoyed getting in bed with them, so to speak. Other times I have been totally apathetic and felt like I was just going through the motions. I have been all over the voter map, Republican, Democrat, Independent, Green, Whig, I’ve always voted for the candidate, not the party. You been there?
Well, this year I added a new first to my voting exploits. A primary. I’ve never done it. Never seen the need to do it, until this year. There are so many things going on in our communities, our country and in the world around us that it is becoming harder and harder to just sit back and watch things happen all the while hoping they don’t get too close to my backyard. I can’t do that anymore. We are ripe for a change and I felt it necessary to let someone know how I felt, what direction I would like to see our lives heading.
So, in my passive aggressive sort of way, I donned my favorite t-shirt:
Loaded up the twins and started out for the Senior Citizens Center (that’s our polling location).
And I cast my vote.
It took all of two minutes. (One minute and thirty seconds of which involved chasing down the twins who had tackled the nice old lady handing out stickers as they yelled—TICKER!!, TICKER!! PEAS!! I WANT TICKERS!!!)
For anyone who has read my blog, I think it is fairly obvious which way I leaned this year but if you need help figuring things out, here’s a bit of my thought processes:
1) Although I’m not a picketer or a sign waiver (I’m passive aggressive–see above) I have written (or mailed) letters to the current officeholder that reflect my (and my kids) disapproval of the War in Iraq. See here or here for references. I’m done with the Right Side.
2) Although I’m all for women in power and respect everything she has and will continue to do for this country, I’ve already got a very powerful woman in control of my life. It would be nice to get a tad bit of a reprieve.
3) I voted for Obama.
My sincere desire is that everyone, regardless of which way you lean, exercise your right to vote this year. The primaries are an important part of the prelude to November. Your voice does count. Unless your children assault the sticker lady at the polling table and you are forever banned from the polling location. There’s still absentee. Get out and VOTE.
