What a difference it makes to be retired. In past years, the polls opened too late for me to vote before work, and I had to join the beleaguered legions who voted after working all day. Standing in line, waiting for a polling station, watching the folks who faithfully serve by making sure each voter is in the right place, presents photo ID, is marked as having voted, and then at the end, is thanked for voting and receives a sticker in acknowledgement.
This year, as a retired person I was able to prance in mid-day with no lines, present my ID and step right into a polling station, drop my ballot into the counting machine, receive my thanks and sticker (after thanking the staff myself), and I was on my way – in less than five minutes.
Months of print and TV ads, junk mail, phone solicitations, Facebook rants, debates, TV interviews and press reports from every point of view have culminated in a few brief strokes, and my work is completed.
My responsibility to listen, sort the wheat from the chaff, and make a decision is over. Across the US, many thousands are still in the process of completing that obligation. And it is an obligation. We have the incredible right to exercise our voices and to vote according to our consciences and free will, and with every right comes a responsibility.
If we want the right to rant or whine, or to dissent in any way, then we must take part in the process. If we want the right to write to our congressmen and state our cases, then we must exercise our votes as well. In my state, many of the results are considered to be foregone conclusions – but that doesn’t mean any of us are exempt from placing our votes.
If you’re frustrated and don’t think your vote matters, think of it another way. Think about American Idol or Dancing with the Stars. How many times has it seemed obvious who would be “voted off,” until the popular votes were tallied? We can be surprised. It ain’t over ’til it’s over, in the words of the immortal Yogi Berra.
So I will now turn on my TV and watch the probably predictable results of my local battles, and await with extreme interest the will of the people in the national election. If you live in the US and haven’t voted yet, get thee to your polling place.
For this year, my work here is done.
The Retiring Sort 
Well said! And after all those months, the will of the people in the national election prevailed. God Bless America.
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Now if we can all just learn to get along and actually move forward! 😉
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My sentiments exactly.
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I would say “VERY well said!” I still don’t understand how people can complain about society when they don’t even go to polls. You can only expect some change or require change if you’re part of it. Happy to see so many took their responsability to the letter. And glad that you can finally go and do so in 5minutes! you deserve it after all the lines you made before! 😉
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Thank you. And thanks for stopping by TRS!
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Now that the election is over ( and I have to admit I’m relieved, if only for my sanity on Facebook), I feel for the Floridians who were still standing in those long lines at the polling places when CNN announced that President Obama was reelected.
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I agree – It’s disheartening! I am also glad that the Facebook rants can amp down now – I have a few friends whose posts I’ve hidden from my news feed because the rhetoric is so tiresome – even when I agree with their stances! I also won’t miss the TV ads and phone calls! 😉 Democracy at work!
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BTW, those folk were still allowed to cast their vote…. so in the end, the people spoke.
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Yes, they’ll be in the final tally – I just remember the year my sister lived in California and they called the election before much of the state had voted – they FELT less like it mattered, even tho’ they still cast their votes. We just all like to feel like our votes will make a difference. And, of course, the outcome of the national election shouldn’t deter us, because we all had local races or issues on our ballots, too! 😉
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True! 😉
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Pingback: Election Day! « Crazywonderfullife
I was able to dash in around the lines, as well. A happy difference. I take my voting very seriously, but deep deep down, I wonder if I would actually stand in a 9 hour line as they were showing over the weekend.
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We are really blessed, despite recent economic and weather issues. I know exactly what you mean! But then again, I have a friend who was part of the election security at the first free election in Baghdad. After hearing his stories, I don’t think I could let a wait deter me. 😉
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I hope I wouldn’t let it deter me. But to be very honest, I just don’t know. (probably depends on if they have bathrooms nearby 🙂 )
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😉
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Done! And, God willing, may the best man for the job win.
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Whoever wins will need our prayers, that’s for sure!
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