Like millions of other Americans, I waited in a long line this morning to vote for my next president. I arrived a half hour before the polls opened on a chilly but beautiful Minnesota morning. By the time we arrive inside I was at my cold level, although hidden under my coat my candidates t-shirt kept me warm and motivated.My ward’s polling station precinct is located in the inner city of Minneapolis, bordering highway 94, in one of the cities most colorful, diverse neighborhoods. We stood outside the community church, a 1960’s postmodern that has not been updated ever since. Inside the vestibule was a wall filled with hundreds of the original bibles in different states of disrepair with a handwritten sign saying “Free”.
And then the familiar smell of church-basement coffee hit our noses.
Absentee ballots are so convenient and probably the best way to go for efficiency, yet I can’t help but secretly wish that every voting experience could take place at a community church or school with volunteers, separate from the government, handing you coffee and homemade brownies at 7:00 AM, smiling at you, wishing you well...silently reminding yourself that you are doing the right thing.
2 comments:
great observation amy. what an amazing day.
There's much to be said about standing in line with friends, neighbors and total strangers for the sole purpose of casting a ballot in a free election in a free country. Each votes carries the same weight - no matter the color, ecomonic status, political leanings, age or sex of the voter. It's an awesome right/responsibility.
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