Put voting before holidays

Now that Halloween is over the Christmas ads have begun. But before you go shopping for that perfect gift that turns out to be not so perfect after all, we have a few other things to take care of first.

The first item that needs to be crossed off the list is voting. In our town most of the candidates are familiar to us. We either know them personally, do business with them on a regular basis, or simply know them because it is a small town and everybody knows everybody else.

I realize that voting can be a hassle. It is an interruption to our usual routine. Maybe the weather is less than ideal and the last thing we want to do is brave the trip to the polls. Perhaps we believe that our vote doesn’t count. Excuses are a dime a dozen.

Your vote does count. So does mine. I tend to vote for the losers so please don’t ask me which person I support. I try very hard to avoid politics in everyday life and in the words I write. That doesn’t mean I don’t have opinions. I form my opinions the same way you do. All the experiences of my life up to now add up to either voting for or against a candidate. I assume that you form your opinions the same way.

I also know that neither of us will change the other’s mind. It isn’t as important who you vote for but that you take the time to make your opinions known. The polls are one place where there is true equality as the vote of an ordinary person carries as much weight as a vote by a billionaire. I probably should clarify that by saying there are still cases of people who are turned away from the polls because of racism and other prejudices of those guarding the process. The system is far from perfect. A single vote can nudge the government in a direction that more closely aligns with the issues you care about. The day after Election Day I will learn that once again none of the people I voted for will take office.

The next thing that comes along is Veteran’s Day. It is a day set aside to honor the people who have served our country by entering into the armed services. Two out of three of my uncles served. Don was in the Army. Leroy, also known as “Red,” was in the Marines. My third uncle, Norman, applied to the Navy but they turned him down because of a medical condition he was born with.

None of the uncles saw any kind of combat. They would be surprised at the new practices that require us to say thank you for your service to any and all former and current members of the military. All the thank you’s in the world will not make up for what our loved ones saw and did while serving their country.

A very long time ago we had a veteran as a guest speaker in high school. I still remember his haunted eyes as he talked to our class. It took a great deal of courage for him to be in that classroom. I could see him tremble as he fought the urge to escape.

The somberness of Veteran’s Day is soon replaced with planning for Thanksgiving. The day is dedicated to gluttony and family with a trace of thankfulness for all we have. We no longer are expected to travel to both sides of the family for a big meal. Now we are the oldest ones in our respective families and often spend Thanksgiving by ourselves as our siblings have families of their own to visit.

Yes, November is a busy month. From Election Day to Thanksgiving there are many opportunities to make our voices heard, to remember those who fought and died for our freedom, and to get together for a big meal and catch up with far-flung family.

It all begins with a visit to the polls to make our choices.