For the Sake of My Physical Well-Being, Please Vote

Someone recently asked me if I was campaigning for any of the political candidates this year. My immediate reaction was, Are you kidding me? Aren't there enough people doing that?

'Tis the season for Americans to be slammed with a litany of ads everywhere they turn. Even if you turn off the TV and the radio, those faces will make their way into your mailbox. They might even knock right into you on the street. I hadn't realized how bad the phone campaign had gotten until a recent dinner with my parents at their place. A relatively calm household otherwise, our conversation was interrupted every five minutes by the phone. They knew best to ignore the incessant ringing the best they could. (After close inspection, it appears as though their phone ringer cannot be completely turned off. What a shame.) But after a while, we could only stare at one another, all thinking the same thing. After the 40th phone call, does that campaigner on the other end really think our enraged state will allow us to to hear anything they say, no matter how calm and rational it may be?

I was thinking about all of this last night while I was running on the treadmill. I was ticked off for my parents who haven't been able to enjoy a peaceful night in weeks but of course, I was even more concerned about the outcome of these elections. With a pretty even split of liberals and conservatives, you never know how Wisconsin is going to go. One of my sisters, who lives out of state, recently exclaimed to me on the phone, "But at least you're back in Wisconsin! It needs your vote!"

True. And as I Wanna Be Sedated came up on my Ipod which seemed so appropriate for the way I wanted to spend the next twenty-four hours (hopefully not the next two years), I got so revved up that I accidentally began to run too fast, leading me to trip on the frame of the treadmill and nearly fly off the damn thing. As I caught my breath and tried to keep my political panic in check, I reminded myself that in twenty, twenty, twenty-four hours from that moment, we'd at least be done wondering and could start preparing for changes.

So I'm off to the polls soon to take some action. I don't wear enough stickers these days anyway. Besides I'm really looking forward to a peaceful dinner at my Mom and Dad's. Phone, be still. My mother's apple pie alone deserves full attention.