Wings and Roots

My first election memory involving Michael is the November 1990 election (governor and some other political offices, which I don’t remember). Michael was about 2 months old. While I was standing in line to vote, holding Michael, a poll worker came up to him and asked him “what do you think of the candidates?” As if on cue, Michael (who was prone to the frequent spit up), spit up all over the place. Where is a video camera when you need one? The next election memory (even Michael remembers this one) is November 1992, when Bill Clinton won the election. Michael was 2 years old, and he remembers dancing around the den with me in celebration.

This past November was the first election that Michael voted in. The League of Women Voters registered him while he was a senior in high school. Before he went away to college, he filled out an absentee ballot application, so he was able to cast his vote for President of the United States – something that he felt honored and excited to be able to do. It was also a real moment of pride and joy for us, that we reached this milestone, that our child was able to actually be a participant in the democratic process! Even though he was away at college during the campaign season, we texted each other after the debates - sensing that history was in the making.

Although he was not home with us on the night of November 4^th, we shared the historical moment via text (he sent a simple 2 word text “President Obama”). Since he is in Philadelphia, he was able to participate in the historic moment – he and his friends went downtown to Center City to celebrate with the masses of people - just like we saw on TV in cities around the world. He said that it was incredible! The next day, when we spoke, Michael asked me if we danced.