Walking into my polling place {which just so happened to be the Hawkeye Hall of Fame} I was giddy with excitement today was the day. Finally, I could express my opinion all with one pen stroke, and the deal would be done. That would be all she wrote.
Clutching the pen I made my way to the little private desk and inked in all my circles just the way I wanted. Placing my ballot on the machine I worried that perhaps my marks weren’t exactly right and maybe my vote wouldn’t count {I have many irrational worries and this is one of them, that and zombies}. Once I let go, the ballot sucker snatched it from my hand and with that my voice was heard.
“#94” read the machine, and with that it was done.
I’m glad it’s done, because the dark cloud of the Presidential Campaign that gobbled up Iowa was finally going to blow away and be replaced with blue sky again.
Because since Iowa is a swing state{not a swinger state. A SWING state, meaning it can make or break the election} we are hit hard with the politico juggernaut, which means…
Local businesses are forced into silence while the politicos fight it out in 30 second TV commercials.
Our mailmen need chiropractic care due to the back pain they endure from hauling around all the superfluous propaganda infiltrating our mailbox.
We receive at least 20 calls a day from politicians, many during naptime and dinnertime.
Large amounts of weird people enter our local schools to vote, and while I’m glad people are rockin’ the vote, it’s still loads of weird people {yes, I’m paranoid}.
But now it’s over, and I’m grateful I had a voice in the decision. No matter how annoying all that other stuff was, it’s all erased in the one simple act of coloring in a bubble and placing my vote.
I’m proud to live in a country that gives me the freedom express my voice, whether through a ballot or through Sound Bytes about our nemesis or with blog posts about real working moms.
That’s what being in America is all about.
Don’t worry I’m not going to bust out singing the Star Spangled Banner. However, I will tell you that whether your candidate won or lost, YOU won by Rocking the Vote, and that gives you a voice. One that will be heard.
YAY for voting!! I always wondered what it’d be like to live in a swing state. CA is so solidly blue, you always know which way our 55 votes are going to go. I’ve even secretly thought that if I were to move back to the U.S., I should totally move to a swing state. (I AM a dork.) In other news…I hate local politics. I was reading up on the candidates in my county and one guy’s platform (for water district something or other) was seriously “I don’t know how this whole ‘politics’ thing works so I thought I’d run for office just to find out.” REALLY? I totally voted for him. (NOT.)
Jade @ Tasting Grace recently posted..A Coffee Chat
I enjoy the Panama boots