Friday, October 26, 2012

voter distractions

We interrupt the guest room redo for a true confession story about voting. It was a glorious, warm, fall day. Maybe one of the last warm ones. Leaves are "peaking." The Gardener and I went out to exercise our freedom by casting our early vote. In true unorganized last minute fashion, I ran to the computer to print off the list of who all we wanted to vote for, including the judges. When I first saw the list, the judges were at the end, in a tidy row. At least I thought I remembered that. I'm sure it was on some list I saw.

The first distraction to my vote was that we voted at an empty doctor's building that years ago was my ob/gynie's office building. My second distraction was a woman offering us a list of judges to vote for. Was this legal? Then I realized she was quite a distance from the door. Then the woman who did my final check-in lives up the street from me and our conversation about sinking yards further distracted me.

As I stood in my little booth I gazed out on what had been the waiting room for my doctor. I started thinking about the many, many hours I had sat in that room waiting for appointments. And then I suddenly remembered that on my last visit I had left a piece of me there. Whenever I think of carrying my uterus and appendix home from Africa in a jar of formaldehyde, I get a bit amused, remembering the reactions during security checks. I had placed it on my doctor's desk, wanting pathology done on it.

So I went ahead, focused the best I could, and placed my vote. I carefully followed my list as it went pretty much in order. At the end were the judges. But at the end of my cheat sheet, the judges were missing. I glanced over at the Gardener. He certainly was taking a long time. Was he upset that the judge list was missing? I nervously tried to find it on an email via my phone, even though a large sign on the wall over the Gardener's head said "Do not use cell phones." Did that include using the internet? It was really too dark in the room to see the phone anyway.

Later, to my chagrin, I found the judges tucked in the middle of the list, not in the order of the ballet as the other names had been. I need to stick to my normal polling place where there are no distractions.

12 comments:

  1. Wow! What a story! No wonder you had trouble concentrating! :)

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  2. Oh things like that are so distracting. I'm so glad that my daughter is a volunteer and has me a handy dandy voter guide. Just the thought of being in a former doctor's office would throw me for a loop!

    Sometimes voting here is like old home week. Lots of friends we haven't seen and on and on...it's so "chattery" that when in the booth, you'd rather be at the party.

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  3. did you really carry home your organs in a jar or is this a Halloween story?

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  4. I just knew that you would be the sort of person who takes her responsibilities for democracy seriously. I hate to hear people say 'I can't be bothered to vote'.
    That story of carrying your body parts home in a jar was just too good - I just know that must have gone down in family lore and will be repeated for years.

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  5. Quite a different system for your voting; we've never had judges on our lists. Like you, I always do my homework before going to the polls.
    Hate to say, but I'm glad I don't have my uterus or any other of those female parts long gone in a jar. :-)
    Judith

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  6. I lost my parts, too, but I never had the option to carry them anywhere in a jar, think that I might have passed, but I think that you were quite responsible for your own health..kudos. Cherry Kay

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  7. Anonymous9:24 AM

    Many distractions, but a great story!!! :)
    Happy weekend,
    Zuzu

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  8. Too funny. Its a good thing that there wasn't a long line behind you. I'm sure there would have been some muttering. I would like to believe that everyone will vote so responsibly.

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  9. Wow...and they think voting is easy...who knew so many distractions.

    We had new computerized voting machines and they were hard to figure out...making you think you were dumb and not sure if you did it right. I kept hearing older people asking for help....but everyone pushed through and voted...glad you did also

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  10. Now that's a unique voting story.

    I can't imagine the consternation at customs when you brought in your organs. A bit of lore that will linger long in your family history, I imagine.

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  11. I forget that your federal elections are so much more complicated than ours in Canada. We don't vote for judges for one thing. In a federal election where we are voting for a Prime Minister, we vote for our local Member of Parliament (MP) that is running for 1 of 3 or 4 political parties. The one with the most votes wins and the leader of that party becomes the Prime Minister. I'm glad you take your civic duty seriously. As for the jar of your organs? I sense a story behind that. ;) Maybe you have shared it on here but I don't remember it.

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  12. Podso,
    Huge responsibility, indeed!
    Loved the tree filled street with gorgeous hues...I'll take that distraction anyday!
    Fondly,
    Pat

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