don't boo....just vote

It was a year ago that I met a man named Mike. Mike works with this amazing lady named Kathy and together they asked a lot of questions and told a lot of stories that completely changed the way I think about the world and my place in it.

I was able to get out of my head for a minute and realize that the pain and sadness and the anger I felt were only as powerful as I let them be. That the love I have always felt for people is really not love until I give it away. That life can be different - for me and for everyone around me, if only I give it a chance.

tonight I took my eldest daughter to listen to Barack Obama speak. I have never been a political rally kind of girl. I have gotten out of taking her to every other rally that has been around town. I have honestly had work to do those days and no way to reschedule the appointments, but I am not for a second going to pretend I wasn't relieved that we couldnt go.

I am not a huge political person - I HATE the finger pointing and the back biting and the slander thrown from camp to camp. I can't stand the bashing adn the name calling and the fact that it seems to be more about explaining why the other guy sucks then why the guy infront of you can do a good job.

Tonight I heard Barack Obama. He talked about what he wants to do. He talked about what he can do. He actually thanked John McCain for his service and his sacrifice. He thanked him for the good things he has done, but he said that he thinks McCain is not the man we need. Then instead of bashing McCain to hell and back he talked about the choices McCain made and why Obama feels that other choices would have been better. Then Sen Obama proceeded to tell us what he would do.

At one point he mentioned what McCain had done and the crowd started to boo - what an ugly sound. My stomach dropped and I was sure I was in for more hate speech and fear mongering - but then he said something that literally made me tear up. He said "Hey now....don't boo - Just Vote!"

I almost jumped out of my bleacher seat !! Here is a man teaching a crowd of people what their mothers should have taught them in childhood. Don't bash - dont get ugly - dont be hateful or rude or mean - do something to change it!

Life is really that simple - if you don't like what you are getting - then do something to change it

i listened a whole new way after that - this man not only believes in something different - he believes that there is a new way.

I thought about all the really good people who seem to be enthralled with the McCain ticket
and i realize that there were probably really good women who didn't understand why other women thought the right to vote was important

and there were probably really good men who felt the same

and if you could ask them today if given the chance they could go back and change their mind and their actions - they might take you up on that offer

but maybe not

so I hope that on tuesday my country will cast their vote for a new kind of election

for a new kind of campaign - for a way of life that doesnt involve hate speech and fear mongering

and maybe things can be different

and maybe in being different we can find more peace