“We have met the enemy and he is us.” – Walt Kelly’s Pogo, 1971
I made a choice not to care on Tuesday, when, along with 91% of my fellow eligible primary voters, I found more important things to do than to decide the future of Charlotte. I cared more about where to have lunch, what movie to see next, or how late to sleep Sunday morning than I did about my next Mayor and City Council.
These ordinary acts of choosing and not choosing do change the direction of my life.
I thought my vote didn’t matter. That buying the Big Gulp didn’t matter or not recycling just this once didn’t matter. I thought GMOs can’t be all bad. These are my passive daily choices.
Yes, Pogo, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” Thank you for turning the finger and pointing at me.
But I do care and things do matter. I want active choices in my life and what happens around me. My one vote does count. Walking past things in the store is a good choice. Thinking more about what I need and less about what I want helps me make better choices. Every swipe or click is a vote for the city and a world I want live in.
Voting is how I show that I care. Votes at the local level, and in the primaries, say I care deeply.
What do you think? Are you in the 91% or not, and why?
Is it really always about those people, or could it be about me? Are there ways I can make a difference? Tell me the choices you care about?
As always, the conversation starts here.
“In the ordinary choices of every day we begin to change the direction of our lives.”
– Eknath Easwaran
Disclaimer
For the record, I voted on September 8 at CPCC, 1325 East 7th and posted on FaceBook about how fast and easy it was, even speedier than ordering a Big Gulp at the drive-thru.
I strongly feel that if you choose not to vote, then you had better not complain about your city, state, or country. In Oregon, we vote by mail, so no one should have an excuse!
We can vote early, from home and on election day. Vote! It is so easy! I personally vote in honor of the freedom we have to vote in the USA. I also vote for the freedom and care of others. I am motivated to vote by those who came before me, who fought for the right to be free and vote, and I vote for the good of what is ahead for all.. To not vote would put me in the silent majority, which is not how I was raised.
Margie – I agree. Voting is important, it is a choice that matters very much. I hope my story points to how 91% of us in Charlotte found other things to do on Tuesday. BTW: Those early voting stickers in the image are mine. They are on a tool box in my garage, collected from my years of early voting. As my story says, we vote everyday in thousands of ways about the world we want for ourselves and our children. Pogo was right, the enemy is us when we don’t vote. Thanks for your comment and for voting in… Read more »
Amy –
I am glad you are in the group that votes. That is a good choice for all of the reasons you list.
I am concerned by the low voter turn out in total and by the even lower turn out of the younger voters who will be living with all of the choices made everyday for more years than I will be around.
As the footnote of my story says, I voted early and it was fast and easy.
Thanks for your comment and thanks for voting.
– Bruce
Yes! I voted on primary day. It only took me 1 minute to actually vote. But 5-10 minutes total as I do enjoy chatting with the people there I see each year!
Amy –
Thanks for being part of the conversation. Yes, much of the fun is the fellowship and community of fellow voters. We care and that is a good choice.
– Bruce