I Voted Today

What’s up, y’all? I couldn’t sleep a wink last night…and when I did fall asleep, my phone rang this morning. It was my ex-husband who was in line at the polls, telling me to get up so I could go vote. Pshaw! I was going, but I wasn’t getting up that early to go! I drifted back off to sleep because I was having the most awesome dream…something about a huge party and lots of smiles and music and confetti flying around in the air…

I woke up at 6:30, got my son off to school, and came into my office and turned on the PC. I checked a couple of blog sites, and then got my ass up to take a shower and get dressed. I was out of the house by 7:20, and at my voting location by 7:25 (it’s right around the corner)…and there was a very short line! I had maybe 8 – 10 people ahead of me and my wait was only about 30 minutes. I had absolutely no problems with signing in and getting my ballot, and stepping up to the booth turned into an emotional tide for me. My eyes welled up with tears that I couldn’t see in front of me. I gathered myself and as I marked the ballot for Barack Obama/Joe Biden, I started to well up again and had to take a moment to think about what this meant. Here I am, a 36-year-old woman, who never in her life has held much interest in politics, feeling as though I had connected with something for the first time that I could believe in. I could literally feel my ancestors looking over my shoulder as I made my selection, and I smiled.

With my voting over, I collected my sticker (gotta have the sticker!) and walked out of the little church. It is a beautiful day here in Missouri…the skies are clear, the air is crisp but not cold, and I will forever remember this day as a good one. I went and collected my Starbucks coffee, and then had breakfast with my friend who had voted this morning also. I talked to my girlfriends who had just come back from their pollign locations and were just as excited as I was…the mood is electric!

I am at home now, trying to relax until the results come in tonight. So I’ll leave you with this. I BELIEVE…do you?

video credit: originally uploaded to YouTube on May 27, 2006 by Remington