I am horrified and incensed at the number of people who seem intelligent and engaged with the world who do not vote.
Ever.
I know somebody who was running for local office (she lost) and her list of eligible voters revealed that an alarming number of people are not even registered to vote, and that many registered voters never vote. I just can't believe it. With all the brouhaha that goes on about politics . . . everybody I meet seems to have an opinion and why wouldn't they all since opinions are like that other thing that everybody has . . . and a lot of these yahoos don't step foot into their local polling places.
Woolly bear caterpillars are apparently more of a weather predictor than I ever imagined. I used to work with a man who knew how to read them, or said he did. He would look at one and say, "See? It's going to be an early winter!"
And I'd look and say, "Hunh!"
I don't remember if the following winter turned out to be early or not.
I can't remember two months ago.
I just remember that I love the light and warm months and I'm sleepy in the dark and cold months and that's how I go on. I might as well be a prehistoric woman.
Except that I vote.
Every time.
A friend of mine, years ago, told a bunch of mutual friends that I had not repaid a small debt to her. I had repaid the debt, not an hour, not a half hour, after having incurred it. You know . . . that slander bothers me so much that I think about it in the middle of the night. When I learned of it, it was a long time after the event . . . so long that I didn't know what in the world she was talking about. By the time I remembered, so much more time had elapsed that it seems small of me to be so bothered by it. Let it go, I tell myself, but here I am.
Husband traveled for a good part of last week. I loved it. I made noise in the middle of the night, I ate odd combinations of food, I slept and rose at odd (even odder than usual) hours. Right up until he drove in the driveway I was thinking how nice it would be to have a husband who paid the bills and dropped in once every week or so. The minute he was home, the air felt more comfortable, colors seemed to have more depth, my body felt more comfortable. Everything got . . . right . . . and I hadn't even known I was off kilter.
There is a slight coating of snow on the stone wall, on the picnic table in the front yard. It's supposed to be a sunny Saturday, so it will go away. And Sunday's forecast is "mostly sunny," so that's good. And then the whole week falls apart into gray wet mush. I need to get my snow tires on before the gray wet mush becomes white fluffy mush.
I am reading Sarum and enjoying it. It is so long that it might be the last book I ever read. And the print in the 1100+ page paperback is so small that I might lose my sight before the last page. But it's a story that rolls right along. It reminds me of a social studies book I had when I was in fourth grade. It was about the Piedmont region of the US and was narrated by the children of a family who lived there. My sister ridiculed it: "My social studies books are history books, not storybooks like that one!" I'll bet I remember more about the contents of my "storybook" than she does of her dry old histories of which she was so proud. I do just fine learning my history from stories: nearly all of what I know of World War II is from having read The Winds of War.
Ponder this:
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14 comments:
We always vote and consider it our duty if we are going to complain about things. But here in Washington state, the voter handbook looked like a phone book it was so thick. And educating yourself about the issues at hand were not easy, it took us quite awhile before we could decide how to cast our ballots.
There are a lot of lazy people who simply don't care. I learned that my father never voted even once but as soon as he passed away, my mother never missed a chance to vote.
Nice post. I enjoyed everything about it.
This was a delightful read - the end of the second paragraph cracked me up. I often felt the way you did about husbands (both ways, that is), and was reminded, in your mention of wooly bears, of Hal Borland's comment that wooly bear bodies did not so much predict the coming winter as comment on the fecundity of the summer just passed.
I love this post.
I didn't use to vote, but my current husband views that as treason, so now I do.
I have a family member who complains constantly about the government, but doesn't vote. So be quiet!
I loved your random thoughts today. I agree with you. What is up with people who don't vote, and those who forget we paid our debt to them?
My husband never leaves home for any length of time. He may be gone a day or two babysitting grandchildren, but even that is very rare. I would do the same thing you do if he were gone. I would also feel the same way you did when he got back.
I immediately downloaded the two books you are reading to my Kindle after hearing what you had to say. I love long family saga books that scan decades and generations. I was looking for a good read. These two books should take me through the dreaded holidays. I don't know why I've never read the "Winds of War" before now.
Loved your random thoughts! It is so frustrating when people complain endlessly -- and then don't vote. And it's so painful to hear baseless rumors spread about you that are so small, yet loom so large. And, yes, it IS wonderful to experience solitude from time to time but even better to be reunited with one's spouse and realize how much color and substance and joy he brings to your life!
Sarum is one of my all-time favorite books. I visited Sarum and thought I had died and gone to heaven. Rutherford writes a good book. Dianne
Gosh, I read "Winds of War" so long ago I can't really remember it but I do remember that I loved Herman Wouk. "Marjorie Morningstar" was another of my favorites. I think I'll try these again because of the good memories I have of them.
I've learned not to borrow or accept gifts out of nowhere just because of what you describe here about your friend talking to others about it. It seems some people love to let others know what great sacrifices they have made. Plus, I always feel like I owe them afterwards.
I vote. I think people should vote, but only if they are interested enough to think about the options and what/who they are voting for. If they are so disinterested or uninformed, their vote is a loose cannon. I do think that those who did not vote have no right to complain.
I would say we are very much alike in our thought processes. (And - THAT is scary!) PS I had a look at your pups again in the last post. I know they're poodles, but I love their fuzzy hair (as opposed to highly clipped) look - very adorable.
Uh oh, you're makin' me feel guilty. I usually do vote, but missed last Tuesday b/c I was out of town. I didn't ask B how much she enjoyed it when I was away ... some things you just don't want to know! It was probably a lot since her sister came to visit.
I enjoyed your random thoughts. Another "me too." I much prefer to learn my history from stories. Drives Don nuts. :)
But I always vote.
I enjoyed all of this post, June. I too am amazed at how many people never vote. And I really enjoyed SARUM -- that's how I like to learn history too!
and your story books told you all about the importance of voting!
you've done it again, enchanted me with your little snippets.
you are a magician. I am glad you don't live anywhere near me, I bet I wouldn't love you half as much if I knew you and what a cantankerous kind of creature you really are.
Yep. REad SArum - luckily started when I was only 40. Who's read Sebastian Faulks? "Birdsong" - amazing, "Human Traces" - awesome, "On Green Dolphin Street" - huge! You strike another chord - I gave a friend an expensive book for her birthday, hoping to borrow it later. 10 years on, she swears it was given to her by someone else! Was I mad! I'll never give another book present without writing in it!
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