On the Occasion of My 37th Birthday

So I turned 37 today (scary, when I was 18, I figured by 37 I'd be all shrively and in a nursing home)...turns out I'm still young. Fancy that.

So last week I really made some mistakes...all in fun, but hard to overcome now. I broke the cardinal rule: Never Discuss Relgion or Politics (esp with people you either LOVE or dont know...well, I suppose the "dont know" people would be OK, as long as you NEVER have to see or speak to them again).

I'm a Democrat, I am voting for Obama and Biden. I like the guys, I think they will do the better job. Period. I didnt really think there was all that much to debate, but a couple dear friends of mine and I did it anyway. It all started in fun, and with one of these friends, we do this poking a lot...on lots of issues and in lots of ways. So with both friends, it was all in jest.

Then it took a serious turn in some ways...I started thinking too much. I started reading too much and I found out how sad the state of our country really is. How much NEITHER party had done much to help, as we spiral ever downward into debt and illness and suffering, both here and abroad. It stopped being so funny.

So I went to the bookstore and bought some funny political books to cheer myself up. They havent helped much....even the political humorists are sick of all of it. When Michael Moore is beating up on the Democrats, we are in bigger trouble than we know.

So, I admit, I have always kind of been a casual voter...not this year. This year I am reading, I am researching, I am asking the tough questions.

I am rejecting the Right Wing slandering of my candidate.

I am rejecting the Left Wing slandering of our opponent.

I am NOT basing MY vote on TV ads or even the Daily Show (ok, its really funny though).

I encourage my readers to do the same...research, dont just assume that your party is still representing your best interests.

Neither candidate is perfect, I am sure more lies/slanders/emotional outbursts will ensue during the next several weeks.

I ask you, as I ask of myself: look hard. And then look again.

Then call your friends and talk about something else.

Like shoes.