Voting Emoting

Mikaela says:
This morning was quite the lackluster voting experience. At 8:15 am, my vote was lucky #7. Pretty abysmal. The upside of voter apathy is no waiting in line. There's that.

I was horribly unprepared, now that I don't have Maggie's excellent ballot explanations, like a path through the political labyrinth, but I defaulted (very guiltily) to voting for Hispanic surnames if there were only men and Hispanic women's names if possible, and women over men in general. That's my affirmative action voting default. Not as good as actually doing some research, I know.

But I gotta say, I'm not entirely in this realm these days. At my new job, we've been immersed in tribal planning for the Navajo, and the structural and environmental issues this tribe faces are OUT OF THIS WORLD. At the same time, the integrity and deliberate wisdom that most folks imbue as they talk, plan, consider, and walk forward ... it's emotionally overwhelming to me.

The closing blessing to a two-day workshop last week reduced me to tears. I've never had my heart exploded like that at a community meeting. This elderly woman, who has faced so much and come so far, spoke this prayer that was crystalline perfect in its structure and beauty, incorporating the full rainbow spectrum of simple hope and fierce resilience and common strength.

Everything else in my life seems pale and listless in comparison. I barely glance at the news because really, the vast weather system of politics means nothing compared to the local conditions of continued drought. I know intellectually that everything's connected, but at this moment in my life, I only have room in my head and my hands and my heart for one battle.

At least it feels like a good fight.