Voting Makes Me Happy

I gotta tell you all, I LOVE voting. I forget until I do it and then it makes me HAPPY. I love going to the school or the community center and seeing all my neighbors there doing their part, and me telling the lady or man in a windbreaker my name and having them say, "Pierce?" to which I answer, "No, PEE-AIR." Then I go into the funny little booth with the stiff curtain, that is so much like a cross between a garbage bag and a shower curtain, and it's always a surprise as to what I will find in there--what machine or piece of paper?

This morning I went in and it was a WEIRD machine that was obviously old, but I had never seen it. It had a giant red handle that you turned. I felt like I was the operator of a strange, solitary amusement park ride as I jerked it RIGHT to cast my vote. Then I turned the black little knob that made an X appear next to pink window with the black lettering. Then I cranked the big red arm back to the left and saw the X disappear and I thought, "That's it? Well, let's hope so." Then I came out of the crinkly curtain, and the lady in the windbreaker smiled and said, "Thanks for coming." I should have said, "Lady, thanks for being here." But instead I just said "Have a good day." Graham and I walked out into the wet streets and I thought, FINALLY! The NEWS has come HOME and I was so happy, I skipped to the subway.

I hope wherever you are you are casting your vote. It's a great ride.