Part III - 8 things I was thinking in the voting line...

My two hours worth of random thoughts while I was waiting to vote:

1. This is awesome. I've never seen this many people come out to vote at my polling place. Cool.

2. Next personal research project: election reform. Surely there has to be a better way to streamline national elections.

3. Why do we only have 15 voting booths here?

4. A voting man is sexy. Yay to all the attractive brothas that were in line with me...it made the time go by faster...lol.

5. I wonder how many black boys will now feel differently about what they CAN do.

6. If Obama is elected, I hope that Black folks don't expect immediate change just because he is Black. If you weren't rich today, you won't automatically be rich on January 20th. He'll need some time. And let us not forget...if elected, he'll be the president of the U.S., not of Black America. His responsibility is to the whole country.

7. Man...I really can't imagine having been around in the time where our parents/grandparents/great-grands didn't have the right to vote. I wonder if I would have had the same strength they did to protest, boycott and fight. Two hours is nothing compared to some of the things they went through. Ever forward!

8. What's next?

Part II - 2 hours 15 minutes...worth the wait...

Enter line: 11:00 AM

11:30 AM - Moving along

12:00 PM - Made it to the door! Woo hoo!

12:15 PM - Even more people inside...

1:00 PM - Finally checking in

1:05 PM - Almost my turn...

1:15 PM - I'm outta here!






1:20 PM - Enough said!

Part I - The nervous excitement...

I couldn't really sleep last night. It's the way I felt before the first days of school or work...or before any big event. Nervous and excited. Don't want to oversleep. Wake up every few hours and peak at the clock on my nightstand. Wondering what the lines will be like...will I have time before work or should I go in the midday?

The polls here open at 7 am, so I finally got up around 6 and got dressed. Armed with my camera and an assortment of breakfast snacks and my IPOD, I headed out the door. My polling place is only about two blocks or so away...so I could tell as soon as I drove out, the place was packed. It was 6:40 AM and the line was looped around and around and around. Folks were out there with their chairs, breakfast, novels and more. It was awesome. I felt a little emotional seeing all of these determined voters waiting patiently for the doors to the polls to open. I drove around for awhile just looking at all the people. Snapped a few pictures. I did decide to head to work and come back later. I'm going to head back over at about 10:30 or so. I'll keep you posted. But, whatever the line is looking like where you are, take the time to vote. It's not just a privilege, it's an obligation.