Election

It was an interesting experience voting yesterday. The process was naturally the same, the venue of course ever-changing, but the people.....well that was something to behold.

In years gone by, I had gotten accustomed to sharing space with your regular breed of people. Hard working men and women who had families and managed to squeeze a few minutes out of adequately paying jobs to do their civic duty. And of course, there were the old and graying elders who were taking their time to vote, while manning the voting poll posts to keep the wheels of democracy spinning. These were the die hards, those who were committed to the electoral college and the system. And as much as I appreciated their resolve, I never managed to feel completely comfortable around this bunch. Between skin complexion, facial features, and my insistence on wearing all things black, I tended to stand out in the crowd. And while these folks were completely cool and generous, It was clear who the odd man out was.

However, yesterday's election was different. I saw people I never expected to ever see at a voting facility. I saw a young man with baggy pants, sideways baseball cat and requisite g'sta strut walk into my voting locale while his very young, extremely pregnant girlfriend waited in the car. I saw a husky unshaven man smelling of cheetos and pot smoke with an "I Voted" sticker on his flannel lapel. I saw loafers and ramblers, and people I wouldn't trust with my lunch, all lining up to vote.

This was a pretty trippy thing for me. To see people that many would have disregarded as being "unsavory" participating in this shin dig. Getting involved in a system that up until this point, most have probably ignored or neglected in the past. As though the forgotten and misspent decided this morning, "I have fucked up and pissed away a lot, but damnit, this is important. And I ain't letting this one get by me."

And I find that pretty hopeful. It makes me feel like a lot more things can happen better around this craphole. And yeah, I know, voting is a ten minute process that involves nothing more than pushing some buttons these days. But hey, these same folks could have just stayed in yesterday. Had a few triscuits, caught some Ninja Warrior on the tube. But they didn't, they thought and reasoned long enough to decide to get involved. I have no idea who these people voted for, and I don't want to know. They got involved, and that's plenty good for the likes of me. For the first time in my life, I was not the only black sheep outcast at the polls. I saw a new generation of strangers and weirdos get up and make a choice. And that, makes me feel pretty darn good.

Okay, so I admit I've generated two politically based posts now. Yeah, ol' Boogie's been out of character, I know. But don't worry, I'm done. Coming soon, more bitching about shitty bands and stupid celebrities.