This morning, I woke up and couldn’t figure out what to wear. I searched my closet for the perfect outfit. First, I put on a pair of shorts and a cute t-shirt. I soon realized it was going to be much cooler, so I opted for jeans instead. And then, I switched my top for one that was more appropriate for my morning Zoom meetings. Thirty minutes later, I ditched the whole ensemble for a cute dress and big hoop earrings because I decided I needed a pick me up to motivate myself to start the day.
Finding the right outfit to wear is never an easy decision for me, but you know what is – who I’m voting for in the presidential election. I guess I am fortunate in knowing which candidate represents my values, and which one I want to be exiled to a deserted island for all eternity.
I guess it is also why I’m so baffled when I listen to people who are still undecided. But instead of criticizing them, I’m trying to understand what’s going on. And the more I read, the more I learned.
For instance, a voter who has been a Republican their entire life–raised Republican, parents were Republicans–can’t wrap their head around the idea of voting outside their party, I totally get that. I couldn’t imagine voting for anyone but a Democrat. To them I say, maybe this time is different. Maybe it isn’t about what party you belong to but about putting your country before party.
For Democrats who didn’t want Biden to win the primaries, he wasn’t my first choice either. I liked Pete and Kamala and Cory myself. But then, I decided that a Biden/Harris administration won’t consistently lie to the public, dismantle trusted systems, or disrespect and publicly ridicule and bully those who are different based on their race, religion, or sexual orientation. I’d much rather go to sleep at night knowing we are a beacon of hope for the world instead of a laughing stock in the global community.
For those who wanted to vote for Kanye West, sorry, I have nothing for you.
Here’s the thing. I’m not trying to tell you how to vote. These are my own feelings that I’m lucky to have a platform where I can share them with you. But, if you are registered to vote, please, please don’t sit this one out, cross your fingers, and hope for the best. It shouldn’t be that hard to match your values to the candidate. You are a smart cookie and you know what you believe in. You know right from wrong. You love your country. You want us to continue to be a leader in the free world. You want to help others in need. You want to succeed in business. You want to provide for your family.
And maybe like me, the most important issue to you these days is having a safe, scientifically-based, and effective vaccine to treat COVID-19 so that you and your loved ones can live a healthy life to the fullest. You want to travel again. Go to the movies or a concert again. Attend a wedding or a graduation party with all of your loved ones. Or just go back to school or work or leave your house and go out to dinner without risking your life.
So, here is my question — with 13 days left to go, what will you decide?
When I graduated from college, I had three jobs. I worked as a receptionist during the day, a stringer at a newspaper at night, and a sales associate at a clothing store on the weekends. I was 22 and full of energy. I loved being busy. Years later and not much has changed, except I have less energy and I’ve lost count of how many jobs I have these days. I can tell you that it’s a lot more than three.