Election Day. For the first time in over a decade I actually participated. Would I have participated if not for Jake holding up the personal standard..., no, the personal responsibility, we have as citizens to take part in our country? History would say probably not, but maybe I would have, prompted to do so by a decade of guilt at my decision not to participate.
Some years ago, I was contacted by a random Ph.D. student, introducing himself as an individual interested in how the thoughts and experiences written by people like myself on weblogs and other social media can be used to make conclusions about society as a whole. He explained that he was contacting me in an effort to try to collect reliable data about bloggers’ opinions, experiences, and characteristics in order to refine and evaluate his analyses. I consented to his request and for the next 2 or so years saw the effect of some sort of algorithm hitting my blog on a daily basis. At the time I almost felt guilty, thinking that the effort to analyze my blog would prove futile for the researchers, for what would my few stories have to say about general society as a whole?
I have not made it a regular practice of reading my own blog, but in the past few years I have occasionally taken a dive back over the years, just out of curiosity, and quite honestly been surprised at what I found. I never intentionally wrote about my opinion, in fact, can attest to an intention to write generally without opinion. However, as I would read what I wrote, my experiences shared, my stories dramatized, my fears and my joys felt; I could hear my opinion and my character bleed through those carefully chosen words. So perhaps, not as futile as I had assumed. Even today, writing about my decision to participate in the voting process for the first time in over a decade, yes, definitely reflects society as a whole.
This year has also been the most I've probably prayed for those involved. Especially today, safety for all parties, for all candidates, and for our country as next steps are taken over the next few months of transition, whatever direction that transition takes. Could we all love just a little bit more!
Now I'll get down from my soap box!
Jake and I were in Michigan with the Bowermans.
