Because I Had To   …   Vote.
As early as I have memories, I can remember voting. I grew up in in a family of six people. Most major decisions were made by my parents but in the spirit of democracy, I did get a say in just about everything else. “Do you want mayo or mustard on your sandwich?” “Did you want to stack wood this morning or in the afternoon?” “Did you want to take your shower at 6:00 a.m. or 7:45 a.m.?” And with four girls and one bathroom, we needed to be democratic because the first slots required getting up early while the last slots risked not having hot water. We even voted on what TV shows we would watch, games we would play or the radio station in the car.
In addition to having the opportunity to vote on everyday things in my home, I frequently exercised my right to vote in school. From kindergarten on, all my teachers did this. “Raise your hand if you want a shorter snack time and longer recess?” “Put your heads down and raise your hand to vote, when called, for the star of the class play.” “Write your choice for line leader for the week on this piece of paper.”  “Cast your ballot in this box for student council.” In school, although there were a significant number of rules and unwavering structure, I still felt like I had a chance to make my voice heard.
Whether voting takes place with hands, voices, ballots or in secret, is not really the point. The exercise of voting is simply meant to allow for an opportunity to have a say in a choice. A vote is an amazing way to express my choice. And today, nothing has really changed. I get a vote on our next book to read for book club. I get a vote on choosing my favorite Survivor player. I get a vote in deciding on which shade of white I want to paint a bathroom. I get a vote in selecting a scholarship recipient. I get a vote in deciding which frozen meal I will buy. I get a vote in naming the best place for ice cream in my community. I get a vote in influencing where I will take my next vacation. And … I get a vote in determining our next president of our country. More importantly, so too, do you. All those in favor signify by saying Aye.
Vote. Vote.
Kathy Naumann, possessor of NATURALLY curly hair and the understanding that you can’t control everything!

.