As it should be....

I have voted. The line at our polling place was only about 20 minutes long, and it was a beautiful day here at that. Everything went smoothly... and there was a wonderful feeling of community in our line, of a shared sense of purpose. I have no idea if people around me were Democrats or Republicans or Greens or anything else. At that moment, we were all just citizens exercising our rights, and we also shared agreement that it was a net positive that this many people cared enough to give up time, to make an effort, to VOTE.

Years ago, when someone asked me what I liked to read the most (beyond "funny" and "good thrillers!"), I realized that my favorite books, even ones that were darker, all offered one common theme: they were ultimately hopeful. That tends to drive me in my own writing, too. And today I found waiting in line offered that same feeling: this many people caring enough? That is ultimately hopeful. And that, to me, is as it should be.