You see yesterday was
ELECTION DAY
Namely the first Tuesday after the first Monday of the Eleventh month of the year. (Look it up you'll find it in the Constitution.)
Namely the first Tuesday after the first Monday of the Eleventh month of the year. (Look it up you'll find it in the Constitution.)
Anyone that knows me, knows I'm passionate about election day. It all started when I was young and listened to my Grandma Thornley talk about voting. She was born in the year 1900 in England. She loved her country greatly but immigrated to America with her Mother and Brother after they joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She also loved her new country but was content with still being an English citizen until one day when my Dad was in grade school. He came home one afternoon and asked if she was an 'alien'. When he explained that it was not the super natural kind but the non-citizen kind, she decided she needed to become a citizen of the land she loved so dearly. From the point she became a citizen she never missed an election. I saw her even when home bound direct my Dad to help her with her absentee ballot. She is a hero to me. She describes American to me. She has been the inspiration in me never missing a general election ever. (And never missing a primary election in the last 15 years.) I want to be like her.
Yesterday was election day and...
Yesterday was election day and...
I didn't vote before I took my kids to school.
I didn't vote before I went on Savanna's field trip.
I didn't vote before I picked up Ethan from Joyschool.
I didn't vote before I took Tim's emergency pictures to school.
I didn't vote before I went back to the rest of Savanna's field trip.
I didn't vote before I got the kids home from school.
I didn't vote before the kids went to piano lessons.
I didn't vote before I fixed dinner.
I didn't vote before Mike took the van and my babysitters to scouts and young women's.
I didn't vote before I told Sierra to get in the shower.
I've never understood how someone could 'forget' to vote. I may have even mocked those that claimed it. After all as Theodore Hesburgh said, "Voting is a civic sacrament." or at least in the words of a less succinct patriot "a license to complain". However, last night as I sent my kids off to get ready for bed so we could read some stories I plopped on to the evil known as Facebook and my top entry was from my niece Kimberly (Kimma on here). Her status update claimed, "Today I did my civic duty." I was so far in La-La land that the thought, "Wow I wonder if she had jury duty" crossed my mind." Then it hit me. IT WAS ELECTION DAY and even more disturbing I FORGOT.
I looked up at the clock and saw I had 28 minutes until the polls closed. I had no one home over 8 (the oldest of which was dripping wet) , and no transportation. I considered leaving Sierra in charge and running the 4 blocks to the poll. But instead I ran to my friends house in a tizzy. Luckily, they love and 'know' me well enough to understand how voting could be an emergency. :) I dropped the kids off and the two of us drove to the school. I texted Mike and he met us there.
It is there I met up with my humble pie....how could I have forgotten? What about my very ordinary yet busy day was so important that I forgot the privilege of being American. Today as I think about my Grandma, it is the 109th anniversary of her birth, I am so grateful for a social network, a niece and the fact I can look to heaven in remembrance of a great citizen and say:
I didn't vote before I went on Savanna's field trip.
I didn't vote before I picked up Ethan from Joyschool.
I didn't vote before I took Tim's emergency pictures to school.
I didn't vote before I went back to the rest of Savanna's field trip.
I didn't vote before I got the kids home from school.
I didn't vote before the kids went to piano lessons.
I didn't vote before I fixed dinner.
I didn't vote before Mike took the van and my babysitters to scouts and young women's.
I didn't vote before I told Sierra to get in the shower.
I've never understood how someone could 'forget' to vote. I may have even mocked those that claimed it. After all as Theodore Hesburgh said, "Voting is a civic sacrament." or at least in the words of a less succinct patriot "a license to complain". However, last night as I sent my kids off to get ready for bed so we could read some stories I plopped on to the evil known as Facebook and my top entry was from my niece Kimberly (Kimma on here). Her status update claimed, "Today I did my civic duty." I was so far in La-La land that the thought, "Wow I wonder if she had jury duty" crossed my mind." Then it hit me. IT WAS ELECTION DAY and even more disturbing I FORGOT.
I looked up at the clock and saw I had 28 minutes until the polls closed. I had no one home over 8 (the oldest of which was dripping wet) , and no transportation. I considered leaving Sierra in charge and running the 4 blocks to the poll. But instead I ran to my friends house in a tizzy. Luckily, they love and 'know' me well enough to understand how voting could be an emergency. :) I dropped the kids off and the two of us drove to the school. I texted Mike and he met us there.
It is there I met up with my humble pie....how could I have forgotten? What about my very ordinary yet busy day was so important that I forgot the privilege of being American. Today as I think about my Grandma, it is the 109th anniversary of her birth, I am so grateful for a social network, a niece and the fact I can look to heaven in remembrance of a great citizen and say:
Yesterday I voted.
4 comments:
Now you are making me feel REALLY guilty. But if it is any consolation, the Kat-in-my head popped in throughout the day to remind me, but I unfortunately brushed her aside.
Next year? I'll do better. Promise.
Way to go. I don't know what I'd do if I had to remember to actually go somewhere to vote. All of my voting in the last 12+ years has been mail-in ballots. And then the ballot just sits on the kitchen table until I can't stand it cluttering up my space anymore and I vote.
For better or for worse, they got my opinion at the polls. Amen to all your political preaching! Loved hearing about your grandma. We too often take this country for granted.
Excellent post!
I voted too. :) THEN I went to my first every city-type meeting, a meeting of the city planning commission. They were discussing a petition I signed regarding fowl ordinances here where I reside. As I walked in I thought, "I have nothing to say that no one else does." But while sitting there I thought of something. And I got up and talked!!! See what a good citizen I am? I need to write about it. It was actually kind of traumatic in a way, but I shouldn't use your blog to tell all about it. :)
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