Losing control, primary resistance at a critical low...

Today is the primary election in Pennsylvania, and it's somewhat bittersweet for me. Starting in 1989, until last year, I worked the polls each and every election. Twice a year for 18 years. 15 of those years as Judge Of Elections for my precinct. But last fall, I decided I had had enough, and I resigned the post. It was just time. I was tired getting up at 6:00 am, not getting back from the courthouse until after 11:00pm or so. I was tired of getting home and having the elections already decided and not getting to watch any returns come in. So I resigned. And I'm glad I did.

Although, now that it's here. I miss it. I think I miss the thought of doing it rather than actually missing it. But whatever, they've got a new Judge and moved on and so shall I.

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After work, I went to my grandmother's house. I was taking her to her election place to vote. I got her registered in 1992 so she could vote for Bill Clinton. And she's voted in every presidential election since then. But this year, at the age of 85, she was going to vote in her very first primary election.

See, Pennsylvania's primary is always so late that by the time ours rolls around, the candidates have always been decided (kinda like McCain this year). This is the first year, in my memory, where the Pennsylvania primary still mattered. And its the first one she's wanted to vote in.

So as we were driving there, she said, "Polt, I've never voted in a primary, I'm not sure what to do." I told her all she had to do was just color in the circle for who she wanted for president. And then for the other offices, she'd just color in as many as she was allowed to under-. And that's when she cut me off. "Well I don't have to vote for any of the other people do I? I just want to vote for the president." And I told her that was fine.

She's got arthritis, so she can't hold a pen terribly well, but she did to sign in and to vote. And she gets out of breath going stairs, but we took the stairs to get in to the voting place, stopping halfway for her to get her breath and laugh a bit and being out of breath. (We didn't see the ramp on the other side until we were leaving. We left that way, and that was much better).

She came out and handed her ballot to the lady there, but they dropped it. I picked it up for them (neither were terribly spry) and as I handed it to the lady, I saw grandma had voted for Hillary. I smiled. I figured she would.

As we were walking to the car, she said, "Well, I bet pap's watching me and smiling." I told her i bet he was too. Pap died in December 1998. As I was driving her home, she chuckled and said, "The first time I voted, it was for Bill Clinton. The first time I voted in a primary, it was for Hillary Clinton. I wonder if I'll be around to vote for that daughter of thiers." And we both laughed, God bless her soul.

POLT Listening to "Don't Tell Me To Stop" by Madonna

How anyone can sleep with a man, I'll never know. They smell like dogs bathed in Brut. - Doris, Metrosexuality