The United States is in another unique position as month eleven approaches. Unlike in 2016, people are more compassionate. Before the last presidential election in 2016, I stopped at a local Walmart with a friend on the way to another destination. Standing in the self-checkout line, we were 2 persons away from getting a register when a woman walks past the long line behind us and decides she'll take the next available register that was for the man waiting in line ahead of me and my friend. She walked up to the register with 2 items in hand and began to touch the screen. The man who had been waiting for that register approached her removed her items and begin to checkout. The woman turned to me and my friend and saw the long line behind us. Clearly frustrated she held up the two items that she wanted to purchase and then decided she'd check out at the next available register, which belonged to my friend and me.
The crescendo was building and all I could think about was Michael Jackson in Smooth Criminal saying, "Annie are you okay," because this woman was clearly in over her head.
I responded to her like the man before me and the store clerk stepped in and rang her up on another register. As the 2016 election became closer in date, the mood of the people strained. Candidate juxtaposition.
Untenable. I remember voters not voting for Hillary Clinton because they said she was "untenable." The 2016 election came to pass and you know the outcome. Alas, in a little more than two months we will be back in "the check out line," and I haven't thought of Michael Jackson once. That's saying a lot, considering that I live next door to one of the biggest Trump flag flying supporters in the region. Even he is convinced that something needs to change.
Things are different. Not for one moment do I think that we are out of the "tribal woods" and ready to sing "Kumbaya." But I do think we are at a point where we can see more of our commonalities and with the election just months away I have to wonder what type of crescendo are we building up to?
I haven't been to Walmart in some time now, but there is a line forming at the voting polls. Whether you are dropping off your mail-in ballot or showing up to vote in person, there will be a line. The turnout is eminent. Have you studied the candidates? Are you voting your interests? You got this Annie. After the crescendo, I believe that we'll all be okay.
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