Being There

WordPress wants to know if I vote in political elections. First of all, I didn’t realize there were non-political elections available to me. Have I been ignoring the “Best Supporting Cousin” midterms or “Most Likely to Finally Fix Their Sleep Schedule” primary? Was there a referendum on whether chocolate should officially outrank peanut butter, and I missed it? But yes, political elections. I do vote. At one time, enthusiastically. Determinedly. Now, it’s more with the frazzled energy of someone who suspects the alternative is waking up one morning to find the world has been replaced by a reality show judged by rabid raccoons. Spoiler alert: we’re there. Because really, how can you not vote? Especially now, while the world is imploding. It’s the absolute bare minimum requirement for participating in society, like returning your shopping cart or pretending to understand how taxes work. It’s the one moment where you’re handed a pen (or a screen) and told, “Go on then, see if you can…