It's Tuesday and it's Election Day, and already it seems as if things are being written about this day like it was a done deal, like it's over already. Wall Street was raring for an Election Day rally Tuesday, sending stock futures soaring as millions of Americans battered by tumbling home prices, tight credit and an uncertain job market headed to the polls. And even as we headed to the polls, there was no solace there- no matter who you were voting for. (And trust me, there is one particular jowl ed presidential candidate that I am voting for).
Change may be found at the polls, but not solace, not comfort; it's not a place to rest your heavy heart. You'll place your vote and then you'll walk away and your future may seem to be in the hands of the one who got the most votes- but it's not. It never has been. I'm trying to remember that today.
My future does not lie in this president's future choices. They will affect me greatly- his choices- but that's not where my whole future lies- in what he decides, in what he chooses. I have my own choices to make, and while my choice in the voting booth is important, it is not the most important thing I am voting for. Cause all my votes eventually add up.
I vote daily. I vote with my purchases at the grocery store, with my contributions to certain things, with my selections of food, with the businesses I decide to frequent- or not frequent. There's a store at the mall in town that I detest. It has the word Toys in its name and its signage and you think its meant for children. But its a twisted combination of novelties, some toys, and some vulgar stuff. You might go in there with your child and suddenly realize you made a very bad choice to enter that store. And when that happened to me a while ago, I voted with my mouth and told the shop owner I was surprised by his audacity to sell the stuff he does in a family-looking place. I voted against the place when I walked out of there.
I intend to keep voting even after today, Election Day, ends; and people will have to deal with the results of my votes as well as the fact that I will have to deal with political leaders' decisions and votes. I'm not afraid of what the future president will choose. I'm not afraid of the direction our nation may take- although I'm greatly concerned. Let me be concerned with how I exercise my will, my vote, every day.
Cause it all adds up. Each vote matters. Yours and mine. Today...and every day.
7 comments:
Lauren - thank you for your post - you are so right! We DO vote with all that we do every day. Thanks for helping us "see" that.
Lynn
Right on, Lauren!
Yes-just the message we need to remember right now!
Wonderful encouragement today Lauren:)
Yea Lauren! I think I'll go with that and keep voting all year long.
This is such a great post! I loved it, and had to read it aloud to everyone around me!
Great points. Although the election didn't come out as I hoped, I still have hope for tomorrow. People who waited on the election to make change in America were fooling themselves. We need to make change every day.
Lauren, Really nice post. You are right--we vote everyday and make choices all the time--even when we don't even realize it. Your post really highlights that for us.
And we can have a say in our government, too. We are the government! That is the beauty of our democracy. Many don't participate and that's their choice.
I am hoping that President-Elect Obama will get more of us involved in our choices as a nation. As a start, check out: www.change.gov
Warmly, Barbara
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