.
Years from now when my grandkids are regularly electing women or minority presidents, and the occasional minority woman president, I'll remind them that I voted in this historic election.
Does it make me feel old when my son votes for the first time or when I can help elect a president younger than myself? Not when I can still work 19 hours straight. From 6:00 a.m. yesterday to 1:00 a.m. today I helped make sure every vote in Waukesha was counted as a poll worker for the 4th Aldermanic District at Hawthorne Elementary.
As the main person working new registrations, name and address changes, I was better able to see first hand the desire to make a difference. The first time voters and those who couldn't tell you the last time they voted. The blind and the frail who knew what their one vote could mean. Those unwilling to give up even after being directed to the wrong polling place - several times.
Like Honest Abe, the last president to come from Illinois who did so much 140 years ago to make Obama's win possible today, a single write-in vote for "an honest man" said it all. While many write-ins are ridiculous and just slow down the poll workers, I felt at least the "an honest man" vote was probably cast with some good thought and feeling.
Could go on about how I didn't find out myself who won until 1:00 a.m. this morning, even though I was at the polls. Could talk about how easy it was to get our many questions answered by Waukesha's newest City Clerk, Gina. Would mention how surprised I was to not see long lines except in the morning. I'd write more but it's late and I've had only 4 hours sleep in the last two days.
Thanks for voting. It was good to see.
