FINALLY I GET TO VOTE

When I was a kid my dad used to take me with him when he went to vote. Back in those days voting booths were much more booth-like. They were like small rooms with walls built on three sides from the floor to over the voters head. Back then they had curtains! To ensure privacy! When I was a kid, standing inside the booth clutching my dad's leg and standing on my tip toes to see exactly how this voting thing was done, I could not wait to be able to go into a booth and pull the curtain and vote.

By the time I was old enough to vote there were no more curtains to pull and the walls of the booth began at mid calf and extended to over my head. I was so excited to vote. I had done all kinds of research on the candidates and the ballot measures. I was in college at the time and there was lots of talk of the election in my classes. I felt so incredibly adult. So powerful.

And then Reagan won.

In subsequent elections it became clear to me that just because you vote it doesn't mean that your candidate will win. In fact most of the people that I have voted for have lost. And I have come to understand that the person that gets elected is very often the one who reflects the consciousness of this country.

The other night Bill Maher called George Bush a retarded cowboy.

I'm just sayin.

At any rate, this morning I went and voted and I'm happy to say that I still get excited. But the booths are pretty much just tables with little two foot dividers.

I miss the cool booths with the curtains.