Election Day is Finally Here

The lines of democracy were longer than in any recent memory but it seemed to move quickly. You could just sense freedom in the air and to know that my vote would count just as must as the persons in front or behind me is a wonderful feeling. It’s the one time in our life that we are all equal. It doesn’t matter how old or how young or how rich or how poor you are on this day, if you are a registered voter and you’re standing in that line you can’t help but have a feeling of pride in just knowing that you count. As different as we all are on some of the issues, this one day all across America we come together as a nation to make a choice and to be heard. We are surely blessed to have the freedom that many before us and sadly many after us will fight and die for. It’s hard to believe that still today somewhere in this world other’s can only dream of the opportunity to do what so many here will take for granted.
It’s exciting to hear all the chatter from the first time voters, as one of my sons will be this year, to some of the older ones. You seem to see the same people in line every time the polls are open and you suddenly realize that you’re quickly becoming one of the “older ones”.
You find yourself listening to someone behind you talking about who the President was when they voted for the first time and then you hear someone say “next” as you move up a little closer until finally it’s your turn. The voting official motions for you to walk toward them and the excitement starts to build as you’re shown the electronic voting booth you’ll be using to cast your vote. This is what you’ve been wait for the last several months. Everything has been building to this opportunity to make your voice count.
This is my experience this morning: I got to the station 15 minutes early, stood in line and made some new friends; we snaked our way across the fire station parking lot and into the building. I signed in with no problem and finally made it to the voting booth in 45 minutes, considering some people stood in line over 5 hours to vote early, I was pleased. I scanned the electronic pages and made my selections clicking the “next” button at the end of each page, when I finished I pressed the “review” button only to find that I’d missed something somewhere. Frantically I went back through the selections because somewhere in the back of my mind I heard you only have 3 minutes to cast your ballot. What could I possibly have missed? Are they really only going to give me 3 minutes? How much time do I have left? Then I see the selection I somehow missed. Clicking hurriedly through everything I finally cast my ballot. A feeling of relief filled my entire body as I walk through the line and was awarded with my “I Voted” sticker. Its funny how, throughout the rest of the day, I looked at people’s chest to see if they sported the same badge of honor.
I took advantage of my rights as a citizen of the United States of America. Today I’m not only proud to be a southerner but much more than that, I’m a proud American with the freedom to vote.
You may not always vote for the one who wins but you’ll always be a part of the process if you get out and Vote!

Just Saying!

Odes Roberts