May 3, 2016

AND...SHE'S STILL PONDERING

Today is Tuesday, May 3rd, and I live in Indiana.  This means that at 7:15 this morning I stood in line with other like-minded citizens to cast my vote in the Indiana Primary Election That For The First Time In Human History Mattered To Anybody.

But, my question is....don't they all matter?

Like everybody else in the good 'ol You Ess of Aay, I'm ready for this to be over, but that fatigue makes me a little mad.  As a kid, my parents taught me that it is a sacred right and duty as a person living here to be informed and engaged and be kind and to pick up after myself and to vote.

And so I do my level best to drown out the chatter and to understand where everybody's coming from and then I go to my polling place and I do my thing.

But (and here's the weird part, I think)... I hold that vote as my personal right and I prefer to keep it secret.  Yes, I am happy to think about and discuss and debate issues and thoughts and opinions on stuff both big and small, but deep down I feel like it should be my business who I finally vote for.

I'm not a campaign worker or an elected official or a person in any sense able to change the course of human history, but I am a person who feels like it's OK to believe in things passionately and not feel compelled to always bring the rest of the planet around to my way of seeing things.   Maybe that says more about me and my crazypants lack of self-esteem than it does about my willingness to exert influence, but I say...it's all good, people.  We've got a lot of important stuff to do and a lot of interesting ways to go about doing it.

So I hope you will forgive me if I spend what little energy I have on the doing rather than the hollering today.

Stewey and Bosco are sleeping in the sunshine, the laundry is sploshing about in the sploshing machine, and I've got a gorgeous piece of needlework to finish today.  I'm thinking that a few good movies, an afternoon snoozy nap, and then a sensible dinner (and not the hot dogs that I've had rattling around in my brain for two days) and we'll be able to call it a good day.

What's new in your corner of the world?


12 comments:

  1. Sounds like a great way to celebrate my birthday! I like to think everyone enjoys themselves on my day! lol

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  2. I am with you! I was raised that you did not discuss politics, religion and money in "polite company" and that who you voted for was strictly your business.

    I am glad that you took the time to vote no matter what person, party (or pooch?) you voted for when it was your turn.

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  3. I totally agree with what both Coni and Ginger said.

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  4. Yes, I too was reared to keep politics, religion, and money out of general conversation. I think that the constitution of the United States gives us the right to a private (or secret) vote.

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  5. I'm right with you on it's nobody's business but my own who I vote for. I was taught that was a private matter.

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  6. Having spent a lifetime working in the political realm, it is certainly OK not to reveal who you voted for! Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. But I always follow the advice I received before the first ballot I ever cast: Vote for the candidate you want to win, without regard to the polls or anything else. If you do that, you'll never regret your vote. And over the past 40 years I've found that to be true!

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  7. I agree with keeping our vote private. I never discuss religion, politics and, well, a few other things too. I am looking forward to seeing more of your project.

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  8. You are 100% correct - every vote matters! The primaries in my state mattered for probably the first time ever, too. You are also right that your political views don't have to be shared with anyone unless you choose to. No one should think any less of us if we are silent!

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  9. I'm grateful to live in a country with a Constitution that allows us to vote and to do it on a private ballot. There are 3 things we citizens do to give back for the freedoms we have: pay taxes, serve jury duty and vote. Voting is the easiest. No one needs to know how much we pay in taxes, either. Stitch on!

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  10. I want to know what brand of hot dogs you have knocking around in your mind.

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  11. I have been following the electoral process in your country Connie,with much interest,as always.
    I will be casting my vote in the European Referendum in the uk next month and never have I felt the weight of individual choice or responsibility as much as I do at the moment..mainly because of the future of our two young grandsons, but also our two adult sons in their thirties. I am only one vote,but every vote counts,I was raised also in a home where religion,money and politics were private affairs.My vote,however,will stay within my family only as we all respect each others freedom of choice but we have all felt the need to look at and discuss this referendum from every possible angle.....thank goodness for the relative sanity of my stitching!!!!!

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  12. I hope you all had a lovely afternoon :) Can't wait to see that stitchy piece all finished!!

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