Newscoma

Aunt B. wrote about a couple of things that made me do that crazy thing called introspection and the like so I’d write about it here. She points to a story about an elderly woman who voted just moments before she died.

The news story, via Shakesville, is here.

Then she also wrote about her personal reaction to early voting and how it was filled with a great deal of emotion.

First of all, I want to say that this election cycle has been incredibly amazing. We have seen so many different things happening from new technology, a long election process and, on a personal level, in Hoots how this has been so much in the forefront of what we do here everyday.

But, as blogs are about a bit of navelgazing, we all have a personal story on why we are voting in this race. And how it’s become so ingrained that I can’t help but wonder if this is how my mother felt about Kennedy. I know we are in historical times. I wonder about how politics will change from this cycle.

But, and it shouldn’t be discounted, the emotions are real. Whether we lean right or left, there is an urgency regarding these times. My favorite Republican, Bob, who used to be an alderman here in Hoots and I have talked repeatedly about that this election will change some things. Good, bad, indifferent.

All of it.

“I don’t understand why people can’t sit down and have a conversation about the election and politics without it become a battleground,” He said earlier this week. “I’ve tried to have a sense of humor about it all.”

Bob is 69-years-old. I’m 43. He was friends with my mother. He collects antiques, has a very full social life with the ladies and sometimes it confuses some of my friends why I’m quite smitten with him. He lost more money on Wall Street a few weeks back than I will probably see in my whole life. He like PBR because he thinks it tastes good and he always puts a little salt in his beer. (My father used to do that too.)

Everyone in life needs a good conversation even when we don’t agree on who the right guy for the job is. And, yes, he does bring up lovely memories of my mom. I own that. And we are buddies.

Bob and I agree there is not anything we can do now but see how things play out next week.

But they won’t play out for the lady named Dora although she voted before he life ended. And it made me think of my mother who has been dead for nearly 11 years. I wonder what she would have thought about this race. And I bet she would laugh that for the first time in my adult life, I won’t be canceling out my father’s vote. She always canceled his out too.

So, yes Virginia, the election is wrought with emotion because the bottom line is that we are living in some very strange and odd times. And we can only hope that the times that we are going through right now will be corrected for the next generation.

Dora believed that her vote mattered. Sometimes I’m torn on whether or not my vote will make a difference but that’s when I get bogged down thinking.

And sometimes I actually seek Bob out just to hear his take on politics from his perspective.

There is always something out there to learn. And it’s more than all right to feel personally invested.

Bob And Mabel