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Turning Apathy Into Action

Turning Apathy Into Action

We were two hours into my shift as a poll worker during last week’s midterm election when a young man dressed in black jeans and a t-shirt entered the check-in line.

After giving his name and address, and confirming his birthdate, he was ushered to my section. As he approached our table, the woman seated next to me – an experienced poll worker in her seventies who seemed to know everyone in town – greeted him with a warm smile and an exuberant, Hello!

“How ya doin, Billy?” she inquired. “Is this your first time voting?”

“Sure is,” Billy replied. “What do I do?”

She directed him toward me while inquiring about his family and what he’d been up to since graduating high school. When they finished talking, I handed him a ballot and recited the instructions:

Welcome! This is your ballot. The candidates are on the front, the questions are on the back, and there’s a pen in the booth. Take your time and congratulations.

As Billy headed for the voting area, I turned to the woman next to me as her eyes welled up with tears.

“He’s a good boy,” she said, “and I don’t know why but it makes me cry when I see them grow up and come here to vote for the first time.”

I squeezed her arm and smiled, touched by the sweetness of her reaction. I could tell she cared deeply about our community and the democratic process of voting. It was the same commitment and enthusiasm I observed throughout the day from the Town Clerk who supervised the airtight process to the people who refilled voting supplies and candy dishes.

I worked the polls from 1:30 in the afternoon until after 9:30 that night and when I left with a stiff back and tired legs, there were still volunteers – many older than me – counting ballots and checking off lists. It was democracy in action and as I walked to my car, I stopped for a moment in the middle of the parking lot and looked up at the glowing full moon. I thought about all the people that came through that day to vote – a mom with a child on each hip, teenagers tagging along with their parents, women walking with canes, and an elderly man in a wheelchair, and I felt a wave of gratitude wash over me.

Much like the wake-up calls in life that push us towards positive change, I realized that the threat to our democracy and the drama in our political system over the last several years had done something good. It created a groundswell of energy that turned apathy into action.

I intend to work the polls again and I hope you’ll consider volunteering at your local polling station, too. It’s a powerful and inspiring way to get a fundamental education about how our democracy works. Not only that, it turns fear into power and I’ll vote for that any day.

Love,
Cheryl

Credit

Source Here
Cheryl Richardson
For the last twenty-five years I’ve dedicated my life to the practice of self-care because it’s good for people and it’s good for the planet. From personal experience, as well as coaching a diverse group of clients, I’ve come to understand that when we care deeply for ourselves, we naturally begin to care for others – our families, our friends, the environment, and the whole world – in a healthier and more effective way.

Please email: . © Copyright 2022. Cheryl Richardson, P.O. Box 13, Newburyport, MA 01950. 

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