As Close as I Want to Be

It's October, and I'm missing campaign season.  Or rather, I am not missing it.  No disappointment here.

I seem to get plenty of updates via friends' Facebook posts and the news pieces I come across in my journalism studies.  And even though I can't watch debates live (unless I want to fight sleep from 2-4am), I find that there are multiple updates the next morning, conveniently summarized with all the pertinent highlights.  Nothing lost (except for maybe the experience of wanting to get those couple hours of my life back, had I actually watched it live).

What I am escaping are all the automated phone calls with their pre-election polls.  Yard signs littering the neighborhood streets in silent battles between contending candidates and their supporters.  Loads of third class mail from the party and others, making extra sure you get yourself to the polls on November 6th.  Mudslinging ads on television and radio, all day long.

What I am not missing is the experience of voting.  Granted, via a paper form and an air mail envelope instead of an electronic booth inside a church near my old house.  And I won't be enjoying any of the baked goods that are always for sale by those church people every year on election day.  Nor will I get my little sticker which proudly announces, "I voted today!" for all to see.

But I will still exercise my duty as a citizen, and cast my vote which I'm hoping will make a tiny dent in the returns of a highly contested "swing state."  And I will be able to answer to all my family and friends, who seem to be giving me no end of pestering, wondering if I have/am planning to/remembered to vote yet???

I'll make my best effort to catch the returns as they come in on the 6th, staying awake as long as I am able, in order to know whom the U.S. has chosen to carry out the unenviable task of leading our nation through the next four years.

But I have no regrets that this election season, I am blissfully shielded from all the nuisance of signs, fliers, ads and unsolicited phone recordings.  As much as I miss a delicious Midwest Autumn, I suppose in the end, it's not a bad tradeoff.


---
overseas voter
avoiding all the hassle
but not the duty