i voted

today, i exercised my right to vote.

i voted for who i thought would be the least evil. ha.

i have to admit, i am not too pleased with either candidate.

i don't feel like either one represents me and what i believe in.

but nonetheless,

i voted.

and i'm proud to say that i voted. we have been given the right to express our opinion, to sway politics in one way or another. it is a privilege we have been divinely given, i think. people died so we could have the right to vote. and i would hate for them to have died in vain.

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last week, i was engaged in a conversation with someone who hadn't registered to vote in over a decade. he didn't feel like his vote really counted. and maybe he's right. maybe in the state of utah, one vote isn't going to sway the state one way or another, but i was kind of taken back... why would you not register to vote? the right to vote is one of the blessings of living in this great country. and yes, i still think its great in this time of economic downfall and plummeting stocks. i still think this country is great amid troops over seas and casualty reports. i still am proud to be an american even if it means our country is in a "recession" of sorts for the next decade. i am blessed to live in a free country, where i can cast my vote to make a difference, albeit small and possibly negligible at times.

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i am close to a woman who is so upset at the state of our country. so much so, that all she does is complain about how rotten it is, how awful it is here, and how nothing is ever going to get better. well, i disagree. i'll admit, times are getting tougher. but the prosperous united states of america, relatively speaking, is still prosperous. we are blessed with so many things, so many resources at our disposal. we have cars to drive us, with heaters to keep us warm during our commutes to heated buildings with nice chairs that we sit in all day. we have millions of choices of different foods to eat daily - we're not living on rice and beans. we are prosperous. but with that prosperity, comes responsibility.

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in this book i read frequently, with a lovely blue cover and a gold-lettered title, there is a recurring theme of a "pride cycle." the people are prosperous, but get prideful. and along with pride, comes greed. and because of that greed, they fall into a famine. the prosperity ceases and the prideful are humbled. once the people are truly humble, prosperity returns, and so forth. that is what our great nation is caught in - a pride cycle. and until there's a little humility, true prosperity cannot return.

but i digress.

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today, i voted.

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what an interesting time to be alive. what a blessing it is to be able to say that i voted. i voted! for better or for worse. tonight we'll find out what this country really thinks they want. 'mavericks' vs 'change'... i'm not convinced either is what we need. but i am convinced that things will get better. they may just get worse first.

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but either way, i can say that i was a part of the 2008 election.

i did my part as an american citizen.

i cast my ballot.

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i voted.