Saturday, November 17, 2012

Josephine O'Hanlon and her B-pills

Early Tuesday, very early Tuesday, I am awake and on my way to secure this year's "I Voted Today" sticker.  Civic duty day.  I can change the world day - if only my vote counted; I live after all in a blue state.  I am proud to participate because I was taught that my voice is heard.  I have opinions and will wear my sticker proudly. I will believe that, even in 2012, my vote matters.

District One's registration table is immediately inside the outer door. Two elderly women behind the table ardently guarantee each vote is authorized and that there is one ballot per voter.  This Election Day morning the women have yet to hit a rhythm - they call one tiny little Irish woman and me to the table at the same time.  One of the women ask me for my name and address while the other asks the same of the petite little Josephine O'Hanlon. The same question at the same moment. Josephine immediately gives me a nasty, angry, stink eye.  I have infringed on her voting experience.  I quickly offer an apology of "I'm so sorry - go ahead" as I feel the stink eye lock on as if I had just filled out her ballot for her.  I step away from the table.  She takes her ballot form and retreats to a remote table to cast her vote.

Once I finished my registration, the voting process was quick.  I fed my form and then received my sticker.  It was securely affixed to my sweater before I reached the outer door.  I had accomplished what I came to do.  One voice, one vote, one sticker.

As I pulled out of my parking spot, Josephine O'Hanlon was suddenly there in front of me.  Such an unhappy, angry little woman. In the safety of my enclosed car, I started to chant "Somebody gave Josephine O'Hanlon her bitchy pill this morning."  I did this several times until I decided to write it down.  I draw no conclusions.  So many of those would focus on Josephine  or her impact on my morning or worse yet, I could focus on my response to her.  Instead, tonight, I will tell the story and back away.  

Sometimes you get so much more than you anticipate.

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