Voting Drum Roll

Today I am super excited:
  1. Red or Blue, this election will finally be over
  2. Enough with the spam mail, phone calls (not sure what a no call list is about - spam is spam), Facebook posts and ads (some were so terrible it was beyond laughable)
  3. Half of the country will have someone to complain about and blame for their whatevers
One thing I have noticed with this election (and a bit over the last 2 or so) is that I have ANY emotional attachment to an election. I was out an about today, having taken the day off because my kiddos were out of school, and I saw all the I Voted stickers. Facebook post after post of my friends proclaiming their ballots are cast and encouraging other to do the same. Pete and I have had at least one TV blaring coverage of the tallying and keeping tabs on it like I assume we would do during a football game if we were into football.

This is the first year I can honestly say I watched a debate and not just 1, but 2. The even scarier thing is that I not only had a clue what they were talking about, I had my own opinions. The last time I was this engaged in a presidential campaign must have been in high school for Student Council or Class President.

I took my 3 kids with me to the polls today and we all voted. I wanted them to see what it looked like and not be intimidated when their time comes. As I looked at my girls, for the first time it hit me that once not so terribly long ago, women didn't even have the right to vote. I feel a little guilty I didn't make more of an effort in my early 20's. My excuse was that I didn't want to make an uninformed decision and I was too lazy/uninterested/busy to get informed.

So what is so different with this election?

I am still too busy and lazy at times but maybe I am tired of working so hard and feeling like we aren't moving forward. Maybe I am fed up with all the handouts and knee jerk reactions with so little regard to cause and effect. I know I am tired of the sky rocketing gas and food prices without truly understanding what is driving prices up while my income has stayed relatively flat.

Or maybe, just maybe.... I am old. Perhaps there is nothing special about this election and I have hit that point in my life where these things become important.


I feel like I just learned the answer to "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Toosie Pop?"


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