Voting

Amongst all the other negative spill-over from the hip dislocation, probably the saddest to LC was that she wasn't going to be able to vote in this election. She had a perfect record thus far of voting in every election since she was 21 and, as is no surprise to those who know her, had no desire to have that record tainted. Nevertheless, she had resigned herself to the fact that she wouldn't be adding her voice this year.

Apparently, word got out. When LC got home from the hospital, Jenny and Lisa came and said, "We're going to help you vote." So they piled into the car and went to the polling station. Upon arrival, they saw that the front was barricaded off with school buses so that nobody could park right in front of the building. Lisa got out of the car and went up to the bus drivers and said, "My grandma just came out of the hospital to vote. Could you move the buses so we can pull up?" They did! When they walked into the polling station, Lisa went up to the front of the line and asked the poll worker, "My grandma just came out of the hospital to vote. Can she come to the front of the line so that she doesn't have to stand here and wait?" The poll worker said no. Undeterred, Lisa turned to the man at the front of the line, said the same thing, and asked if they could butt in front of him. He said that would be fine. She then went down the line asking everyone if my mom could cut in front of them. Everyone said yes!

So, my mom went up, got her ballot, looked over at the voting booths and a lane of people opened up to one empty booth right in front of her. She walked up and maintained her perfect record of voting in every election since she turned 21. No exceptions.

Thanks mom for your participation in the democratic process and for your example! And thanks Lisa and Jenny for making it possible.

This is right after the vote.