Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Voting Adventures 2008

I just returned from exercising my right to vote, and I am extremely grateful to those who fought so hard to make voting a possibility for me.


Let me share a few highlights from my voting adventures today.
1) I was blessed by a friend who works at my polling place. She called me when the lines went down, and I was able to get over there and nearly walk right in.
2) It was a workout. From the parking lot, into the building, and around to the gym was good exercise for a girl on crutches! Now I stink.
3) I opted for a paper ballot. Originally I went in line for electronic voting, but after standing in line for several minutes, a man offered to let me sit and fill out a paper ballot. He didn't have to ask me twice.
4) In the few minutes that I was in line, I stood in front of two women. These women obviously knew each other because they were quite chatty. At first I wasn't bothered by them, but by the time I hobbled over to my paper ballot, I was ready to use my crutches in ways for which they were not intended. 
Though I only caught two parts of their conversation, that was enough. Let me break it down:
Part One 
Woman with gag-me-now perfume: "have you been to that one? It's just by Polaris. Darling baby clothes, and I don't even have babies anymore."
Woman with glittery sweater (it's 75 degrees today): "okay, I'll have to go. I've been looking for another baby boutique in that area. I just love shopping for babies."
Part Two 
Woman with gag-me-now perfume: "and they say not everyone can get proper and affordable healthcare, yeah, like maybe the ones who choose not to have it."
Woman with glittery sweater: "or the ones who can't afford it." 
Woman with gag-me-now-perfume: "we didn't have it the first year Rich was working up here and we spent $18,000 that year in healthcare. It was hard, but we did it because that's just what you have to do."
Woman with glittery sweater in obnoxiously sarcastic tone: "you know what you should have done is file bankruptcy and live on welfare and do that for however long you wanted to."
Woman with gag-me-now-perfume: "Oh, I know it, that just makes me so mad that people think that living off of our money is acceptable."

Yes, my friends, this was the conversation between Mrs. Nasty Perfume and Mrs. Sparkle Sweater behind me. My favorite part is when Perfume said that they spent $18,000 on healthcare one year - um, excuse me Nasty Perfume - that's not called AFFORDABLE! SINCE WHEN DID HEALTHCARE BECOME A LUXURY? So when a fatherless four-year-old is sick with a cold and the child can't get proper treatment because mom was recently laid off, and the cold develops into pneumonia, you mean to tell me that precious little child doesn't deserve the same healthcare experience as you just because you have more money??? Oh for the love of God. I couldn't get to my paper-ballot cubby fast enough.

But aside from Perfume and Sparkles, I had a wonderful voting experience. I voted today, and I voted with pride. Here are a couple of pictures from my voting adventures.
Excuse the picture of my ballot - I was in a dark cubby using my camera phone thus the picture quality is poor. And thanks to the young man who took my picture on my way out of the gymnasium. Though you gave me a strange look when I asked if you would take my picture, you agreed, and for that I am very appreciative.


2 comments:

Alyssa said...

YOU are hilarious. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

you go girl!!!!