We voted as a family today

Well at least 3 of us did. My husband is waiting for November 4th to cast his first ballot. But more on that later.

Max has been asking since the early voting began when we would go vote. He had already voted in school and Obama had won in his classroom 10:3. We went to the rallies during the primaries and he chanted with everyone else, OBAMA. OBAMA waving the sign in the air. He has been excited about the process even if he hasn't completely understood it.

It's kind of like the Reagan/Carter campaigns. I was so sure Carter was going to win because my parents supported him so much while the neighbor kid, friend of mine was so sure Reagan was going to win because his Dad was a staunch Republican. Billy didn't lord it over me too much when Reagan won but that is the first election I remember. That began my love affair with politics and the process. Well and those saturday morning in between cartoons, cartoon that would tell us what a bill is. You know schoolhouse rocks! I need to get those for my kids, hmmm I digress. It is nice to see Max following in my footsteps to the point of wanting to have his vote count because we voted as a family.

We voted at the grocery store when I picked him up from school. We had to stand in line for our turn and we chatted with our neighbors in line. It was nice, there were no questions of who people were voting for just excitement and a sense of how important it is to get out and vote. We got up to the table so I could get my electronic card. I always knew Costco was a handy place because that was the card I used to id myself, lol! I gave my address and signed on the dotted line. We went for the short wait to get to the booth. The election workers gave the kids, the I voted stickers. They allowed me to take a chair over to the booth so the kids could stand on it and watch me vote. For some reason, Max missed my first vote so he did not see me touch the screen and cast that momentous vote for Obama. So much hope was cast with that ballot.

We want our kids to grow up knowing that if they dream and work for it, it could be theirs. That now includes the highest post in the land and I hope that I am not speaking too soon.

I have always felt that voting was such a privilege and so important that I have never understood those who don't vote. There are so many places in the world where that right and privilege don't exist that it is hard to imagine that our own citizens take it fore granted.

My husband got his citizenship, I think it has been 2 years now. This is the first election that he is voting in. But before this election when we were still living in CA, right after Max was born, there was a March voting. I don't even remember anymore for what. He asked me if I was going to vote, my mom was visiting, and I said nah, I am too tired. He looked at me and said, 'I can't vote. It is your duty as a citizen to vote, now go, it won't take long.' If not those words, exactly it was something close to them. He reminded me of how important my job as a citizen of this country is. If we don't cast our ballot what right do we have to complain about our government?

Anyway, I am excited for the 4th and I hope that he takes Max with him to the booth so that Max can vote again. I hope he will tell me who he voted for on that day.