Been glued to the tube lately, and it’s not anything related to the Super Bowl.  ‘Twas Super Tuesday to be specific.  A precursor to the great, upcoming election. 

I’m always amazed at the relative orderliness of the proceedings, though all candidates distinctly don’t agree on some very key issues.  No martial law, no tanks in the streets.  The reality is, if the ’other’ candidate wins, life goes on.  Some things change, some don’t, but life goes on.  Every candidate has the same goal.  They want to make the country better, only differ on how best to do it.

All of us here voted today for the Washington State Primary with mail-in ballots.  My 18-yr. old cast her first vote ever, and some discussion ensued.  Did her vote count?  Does it make a difference?  Is it even worth it? 

In some countries, just voting is to risk one’s life.  Supporting the wrong candidate results in oppression, retaliation, or worse.  Yet, people travel miles and wait hours in lines to vote, to change, to have a say, to have a better life.  Life goes on, hopefully on to the next day, and maybe the day after that.  They would give anything to have what we have.  Their world is the real world.  To them, we live in heaven…

We’re not just lucky to have what we have.  Our system didn’t just materialize ovenight.  It’s much more complicated than that.  That’s why we vote, and why one vote counts in a very big way.  Use it or lose it.  Some things change, some don’t, but at least you and others can look to a future where anything’s possible.  It all depends on how you vote.    

Still a little dizzy from trying to ride out the current economic tailspin.

Forget the writer’s strike and the lack of quality entertainment (make that a perceived lack of quality entertainment, since some argue a lack of quality requires quality to begin with). I’ve had more fun watching the presidential primaries, with the hopefuls going at each other like verbal ninjas.

May the best man (or woman) win.