I voted yesterday

I had never voted before this election for a couple of reasons: one, I never thought it would make that big a difference who was president; two, I didn't think local politics were that important.  In my mind, Maryland ran itself pretty well, and when I was first eligible to vote, Clinton was running for his second term. 

The second time was 2000, and I simply didn't think that the president mattered all that much at that point in my life.  I used to think a trained monkey could be president, and everything would be fine becuase of the people around the president and the balance of powers. 

Boy, was I wrong.  If there's one thing the W presidency did for me, it made me passionate about voting. 

In 2004, I was in South Africa and I couldn't untangle the absentee process.  By the time I tried to register, it was too late.  But now it's redemption time.  I voted in the primary, and I will vote again in the general election.  Despite freezing rain, a sheet of ice over all roads and sidewalks, and ridiculous traffic, nothing would stop me from voting.  And nothing did.  I left work early, braved the weather-impacted rush hour and got it done.

Now my bitching has more weight behind it.  After all, if you don't vote, you can't bitch too much about the government.  Or so the saying goes. 

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