Lines to vote!

I voted last night. I stood in line outside the Swatara Township Building for a good hour before I was able to vote. I was surrounded by strangers, neighbors, friends, fellow teachers, former teachers, students, former students, and I was struck by how incredible a nation this is. There we stood, complaining about the wait, talking about the Phillies, the Eagles, the Steelers, taxes, everything, nothing; and we voted. We voted without coercion. We exercised our rights, or freedoms, which were won for us by countless lives over the centuries. Some exercised their right not to vote, and as much as this might sound strange, that too is a right fought for and won. No one forced them to vote.

Often visitors from other nations, poor nations, who come to America aren’t amazed at our cars or our homes or our amusement parks and entertainment. They are amazed at our grocery stores, where necessities are plentiful. They are awed by the choices we have. But if our favorites happen to be sold out or missing, we grow frustrated and impatient. How much we have. I think we need to focus on how fortunate we are.

The election is over. The sun rose this morning as it will tomorrow morning and the day after that and the day after that. Lines into a polling place. Great!