A Brand New Day

Hope is in the air.

Everyone seems to be in a happy, upbeat mood. At the gas station I stopped at on my way into work, the clerk and the customers were all smiling, greeting each other. In a city where this normally does not happen. Typically no one makes eye contact and just wants to pay for their coffee and gas, and don't think you're going to skip me in line, thank you very much.

I don't know if the collective good mood is partially the result of the great relief that the seemingly unending election season is over. I don't remember feeling this way in any election since I was old enough to vote. (OK, that was 1984, you nosy Nellies.) Could it be that people can tangibly feel the shift in attitude? Could it also be the unseasonably warm weather we're enjoying?

DH and I went to the polls shortly before 9 a.m. We had to register to vote as our address has changed. It was heartening to see, in this small community of around 2400, that there were 3 people also registering at that time.

I was voter #183. Where DH and I used to live, that number would be reached at the local polling place within a half hour after opening time. In Smalltown, the ladies manning the polling station said they've never been this busy in prior elections.

This phenomenon of an national change in mood is happening all over. Go check out Juno's experience. She describes it much more eloquently than I can.

This is a historic election.

Get out and do your part.