Today's election day. A pivotal day in the future of our country. Like many of my fellow American's, I stood in line today to cast my vote for our country. I hope you did the same.
On this serious day, I couldn't help but find humor in the scenes I passed. As I drove up to my polling place and walked to the end of the 400 person line, I was struck by how white and Republican we all looked. Talk about stereotyping a group - here we all stood, most of us with our hair perfectly quaffed, our nicely pressed clothing and our designer bags, standing peacefully in line waiting for our turn to change the future. The campaigners stood quietly by the road, raising signs and waving at passing cars and everyone kept to themselves. Is the group actually predominantly Republican? I don't know. But, I would say 300 of us fit the WASP description perfectly....guess I learned today the type of area I live in (not a bad thing...I like a quiet neighborhood). After an hour in line, I completed my task, hopped in my car, and headed on my way.
A couple of hours later, I was headed down Silver Star Road, in the direction of Pine Hills. I had passed several other polling locations along the way, all with varying types of scenes displayed out in front. And then I hit Pine Hills, and the irony of it all hit me.
Just as I crossed over Pine Hills Road, I was greeted by a group of barely 18 year old African American girls, standing in the middle of the road waving Cambrio signs (I dont' know who that is either...not on our voting list), booty dancing to music blasting from the precinct parking lot. The smell of bbq filled the air and what seemed like insanity ensued in the parking lot. Signs were everywhere there was a free spot of land, and the whole thing was a sight you could not miss.
Now, I don't point this out for race purposes, to pick on anyone. I just found the irony in how different cultures and different people live. How funny, that I can drive less than five miles down the road, and be greeted by what seemed like a completely different world? Interesting how some of us take the day so stoicly, as if it were a job, and others celebrate, as if it were a right. I have to appreciate the other precinct for remembering that this is a RIGHT and not a DUTY.
Who has it right? Who knows. Do we have to have it one way or the other? No. But seeing this, I felt like it was clearly divided as to which precinct favored which candidate....and how different people are all other.
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