Election Reflection

I was so ready for the election to be over. The campaign coverage, and all the speculation that goes along with it, was getting old, and I was ready for votes to be cast and a winner declared. I guess I should be used to political campaigns that seem to last years (and maybe they do), but for some reason I don't have much patience for it (actually the reason is that I don't have much patience for anything in general; it's one of my more endearing traits). I want to know where the candidates stand, and I'm interested in relevant information about their background and history, but I don't particularly care whether they prefer Splenda to Sweet'N Low, nor do I want to see a hundred different mud-slinging campaign commercials.

I realize that this campaign was different from past presidential elections. There was the possibility of electing the first non-white American president. Then there's the fact that so many people have been, well, "displeased" with our current Republican president for eight years and were ready for a big change. It was a doozy. I think it was fantastic to see that there were record numbers of voters.

Side story: Based on past experience at my polling place, I decided not to even attempt to vote before work. I left work a tad early for lunch and drove home to Catonsville, hoping I might be fortunate enough to catch a break on the wait. This did not happen. The elementary school where I vote is located in the middle of a residential neighborhood, and because the parking lot at the school was full, people were parking on both sides of the streets, making the actual driving space roughly ten inches wide. I was about a mile away from the school before I found a spot to park. As I started hoofing it to the school, the weather changed from a light drizzle to actual rain. Why did I leave my umbrella in the car? Anyway, when I got to the school, the line was long. Really, really long. And it stretched outside the building, down the sidewalk, and around the parking lot. But I waited. For over an hour. In the rain. And I was only halfway to the front doors of the school. I needed to get back to work, so I gave up, walked the mile or so back to my car, and drove back to work hungry and damp. I did vote after work, and it wasn't busy at all. Note to self: always, ALWAYS, go after work. Got it.

It would be nice if so many people were always as passionate and interested in who is elected to make decisions for the country. I don't understand why people aren't more concerned with who their congresspeople are, since congress is responsible for so much of the decision-making. But I digress. It's still a powerful thing that so many Americans took advantage of the privilege to vote and made their voices heard. People seemed desperate to have a new leader, yet seemed optimistic. I have never seen so many smiles on a Wednesday morning; I went to work and people were almost giddy with excitement. People were talking about how they had stayed up late watching election coverage until they couldn't keep their eyes open. About how they had cried during Obama's acceptance speech. There was such hope in their voices, and it was incredibly refreshing.

Of course, not everyone was happy with the outcome of the election. It has been especially irritating to me, though, to hear so many negative and broad statements from them. I completely understand people being disappointed that the candidate they supported didn't win the election, but it is beyond ridiculous that people - perfectly intelligent people - are convinced that the world is going to end on Inauguration Day (maybe they have it confused with the movie Independence Day?). Really? The country will stop in its tracks, the sky will fall, and we'll all no longer exist? Because one dude gets elected? Did I miss something?

Here's the deal: regardless of who lives at the White House, stuff is going to happen that you don't like. Decisions you don't agree with will be made. Some of them might even actually affect you directly. But hasn't this happened before?

I believe that the country will still exist four years from now. I believe that our country will be attacked on our own soil again in the next four years, but I believe that would happen regardless of who won the election. I believe that as Americans we take pride in having freedom of speech and being able to share our opinions, as I am doing here. But I don't believe the sky will fall. And if the president-elect turns out to be a complete and total nightmare, I believe we are resilient and determined enough not to crumble. Everybody just take a deep breath.


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