VOTE!

This morning I jumped out of bed a half hour early with no trouble at all – finally voting day! After 8 years of W we’re guaranteed a new president, and I’m so ready I can barely stand it.

Tonight Greg and I have Greek class after work, so we had to get up early to hit the polls right when they opened. This seemed like a good excuse for breakfast from Dunkin Donuts, and a free coffee (after voting, of course) at Starbucks. Ah, sweet indulgence. What fun to be at Dunks when all the trays of donuts and bagels were still full and enticing. We had our pick. It was wonderful to be up early, out among hoi polloi (see, already using that Greek) when conversation was buzzing and everyone was ready to marker in some circles on behalf of their favorite candidates.

Living the city life sometimes I’d give my right arm to have a car to get me from A to B, but on days like this, public transportation is perfect. The city feels like a cozy family of blue folks. Strangers on the T chat easily about ballot issues and for the first time in a long time people seem united about something besides hating the Yankees. Granted, it would probably be lonely to be a McCain supporter in Boston about now, but for a Dem it feels pretty good.

But the best part of the day is the part you do all on your own -- filling in that ballot. It sounds cheesy, but all the stuff you learn in elementary school about our rights is true. We have choices! We get votes! We shape the future of world with the circles we fill in! Freedom and Liberty baby! (in Massachusetts even for greyhounds and pot smokers!) Tomorrow most of the world will cheer or smack their foreheads when they see what we’ve decided, but today we get to decide. And everybody from stock broker to key grip to student gets one vote. Not even the pundits with their pie charts get more than that. (not to mention a free coffee from every Starbucks you mosey into)