I didn't know I'd go today. I just thought I'd squeeze it in sometime before March 4. And then I saw the sign on the way back from lunch: Early Voting Site. I realized that the good weather was probably on its way out and that today was as good a day as any to step into the booth and cast my vote.
But this time it was a bit different and so were the voters. I stood in line to get my number and heard the lady ask the loaded question: "What primary are you voting in? Democrat or Republican?" The reactions varied. Tremendously.
The first man in line didn't seem to know the name of his party, so he answered, "I'm votin' for Clinton's wife."
The next man in line took the question very seriously, looked both ways, and dropped his voice to an almost-inaudible decible when he responded, "Republican."
The third man in line made some awkward popping movements before he quietly answered, "Republican."
I began to think that those men must have been raised to not mention politics in polite company, and so I answered with confidence to let them know that I wasn't offended that they had answered the loaded question in my presence.
The lady after me was downright distraught and conflicted. "I thought I was gonna switch and vote Democrat, but I'll stay Republican," she sighed.
After casting my vote and exiting the polling area, I went on my way, giggling about how everyone had responded to the loaded question.
Showing posts with label Texas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Texas. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Top Ten Things I Learned While On Vacation
I wanted to do one more thing to wrap up my vacation, so here's a little top ten list that I made of things I learned:
#10 - Traveling with a group of twelve is not for the impatient. Everywhere we went we waited. We waited for close to forty-five minutes to get three cars out of valet parking. We waited to get seated at restaurants (to the tune of over an hour at one place). We waited for our food. We were lucky to see any sites after how long it took just to get food several times a day. It made me wonder how Jesus and the twelve disciples did it day in and day out (not the waiting at restaurants or for cars, just traveling with a large group in general). But the waiting was worth it; when will we ever get all twelve of us together again to travel Texas?
#9 - I want some of my 80-year-old great aunt’s adventuresome spirit. Who else would say after riding a train for nine hours longer than expected, “That was FUN!”
#8 - Take time to watch the butterflies, and watch children as they try to catch them. I had great fun with my seven-year-old cousin as she patiently waited for a butterfly to land on her. When you live where it rains most of the year like she does, having a butterfly land in your hand and travel up your arm is a real treat!
#7 - I’m not ready for the old folks home yet, but rocking in rockers on a balcony with the whole group while listening to an outdoor German concert is a lot of fun.
#6 - Pictures keep the vacation and the memories alive. The day we got back, we made a CD of all our photos and have had a lot of fun going through them and reminiscing over things that just happened last week. I can only imagine that we will wear out the CD, if that’s possible.
#5 - If you are trying to break the sound barrier, just call our group. We actually scared my young cousin with how loud we got while playing a game. We definitely know how to have a good time.
#4 - The beauty of the hill country filled my soul: Think green rolling hills with amazing vistas. And all the culture. I enjoyed soaking it all up.
#3 - There comes a time to put away the sister hat and just wear the friend hat. My sister is nearing thirty, and yet I caught myself asking her where she was going at times, as if she needed me to keep tabs on her. The word “annoying” aptly described my actions. So, I’m working on cutting my “apron strings.”
#2 - I sleep better in my bed at home (the place where I grew up) than I sleep anywhere else on earth.
#1 - My dog will always greet me when I return from vacation as if I have been gone a lifetime because she missed me with all of her heart.
#10 - Traveling with a group of twelve is not for the impatient. Everywhere we went we waited. We waited for close to forty-five minutes to get three cars out of valet parking. We waited to get seated at restaurants (to the tune of over an hour at one place). We waited for our food. We were lucky to see any sites after how long it took just to get food several times a day. It made me wonder how Jesus and the twelve disciples did it day in and day out (not the waiting at restaurants or for cars, just traveling with a large group in general). But the waiting was worth it; when will we ever get all twelve of us together again to travel Texas?
#9 - I want some of my 80-year-old great aunt’s adventuresome spirit. Who else would say after riding a train for nine hours longer than expected, “That was FUN!”
#8 - Take time to watch the butterflies, and watch children as they try to catch them. I had great fun with my seven-year-old cousin as she patiently waited for a butterfly to land on her. When you live where it rains most of the year like she does, having a butterfly land in your hand and travel up your arm is a real treat!
#7 - I’m not ready for the old folks home yet, but rocking in rockers on a balcony with the whole group while listening to an outdoor German concert is a lot of fun.
#6 - Pictures keep the vacation and the memories alive. The day we got back, we made a CD of all our photos and have had a lot of fun going through them and reminiscing over things that just happened last week. I can only imagine that we will wear out the CD, if that’s possible.
#5 - If you are trying to break the sound barrier, just call our group. We actually scared my young cousin with how loud we got while playing a game. We definitely know how to have a good time.
#4 - The beauty of the hill country filled my soul: Think green rolling hills with amazing vistas. And all the culture. I enjoyed soaking it all up.
#3 - There comes a time to put away the sister hat and just wear the friend hat. My sister is nearing thirty, and yet I caught myself asking her where she was going at times, as if she needed me to keep tabs on her. The word “annoying” aptly described my actions. So, I’m working on cutting my “apron strings.”
#2 - I sleep better in my bed at home (the place where I grew up) than I sleep anywhere else on earth.
#1 - My dog will always greet me when I return from vacation as if I have been gone a lifetime because she missed me with all of her heart.
Am I in Texas?
Pitter patter. Pitter patter. Thunder. More pitter patter.
That’s been what we’ve been hearing a lot of lately. Every day this week and apparently most of last week, rain has been pelting this area. I’ve walked through ankle-deep water most days on my way to the parking garage. Lawnmowers are silent as yards inch taller and grow a deeper green each day with the repeated rain.
And so I must ask, “Is this Texas in June?”
A typical Texas June has temperatures in the upper 90s and possibly the 100s. The word “rain” isn’t even spoken of on the news, except to say that some would be nice so that yards don‘t burn up and watering restrictions can be lifted. People’s thoughts are usually turned to water parks, watermelon, lemonade, homemade ice cream, and waiting for the long summer days to end so that the temperature outside becomes bearable.
Although these dark rain clouds have made night come earlier than normal, don’t take my comments as complaints. I would like a brief reprieve, but I’m looking forward to not having a huge electric bill or a hefty water bill. As long as the tornados stay away, I say, “Let it rain.”
That’s been what we’ve been hearing a lot of lately. Every day this week and apparently most of last week, rain has been pelting this area. I’ve walked through ankle-deep water most days on my way to the parking garage. Lawnmowers are silent as yards inch taller and grow a deeper green each day with the repeated rain.
And so I must ask, “Is this Texas in June?”
A typical Texas June has temperatures in the upper 90s and possibly the 100s. The word “rain” isn’t even spoken of on the news, except to say that some would be nice so that yards don‘t burn up and watering restrictions can be lifted. People’s thoughts are usually turned to water parks, watermelon, lemonade, homemade ice cream, and waiting for the long summer days to end so that the temperature outside becomes bearable.
Although these dark rain clouds have made night come earlier than normal, don’t take my comments as complaints. I would like a brief reprieve, but I’m looking forward to not having a huge electric bill or a hefty water bill. As long as the tornados stay away, I say, “Let it rain.”
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Let's Start with Semantics
For those of you who aren’t from Texas, a bluebonnet is a wildflower that appears alongside Texas highways every spring.
For those of you who are from Texas, snow consists of frozen water vapor that falls to the ground in soft, white crystalline flakes.
Normally, these two natural “objects” would not be found together for obvious reasons. But with Texas weather, anything can happen, including having a wintery snowfall in the midst of spring. And that’s exactly what occurred on Easter weekend this year.
But that wasn’t the only odd occurrence this spring. It was around that time that I felt God awakening in me the desire/need/urge to write.
But I didn’t immediately put pen to paper (my preferred way of writing). Instead, I did what comes naturally to me: I questioned God.
“Lord, is this really something that you want me to do? You know I had that idea a few years back to write a book, but I had to scrap that because my motives were wrong. Would you help me do this without making this about me?”
“Lord, you know I write all day long for work and often struggle with getting things to flow and sound right. Have you equipped me to do this? You know that I'm not humorous (or at least not on purpose). And my creativity, while it stuck around a little longer than my flexibility, has long since faded. And I think that most of my best writing was used up during college. So do I really have what it takes to write?”
“Okay, Lord, I’ve been reading all these books and blogs about publishing in the Christian genre, and it isn’t easy. It’s actually a LOT harder than I could have imagined. There’s a marketing aspect involved, and I’m not sure that’s part of my skill set.”
“Lord, it took me 6 tries to be able to get my little blurb accepted to join The Christian Writers’ View. Were you trying to block me or test my perseverance? This isn’t going to be easy, is it?”
As I was struggling through this process, I decided to pray beforehand for once. (I’m really guilty of going into things and asking God to bless my decisions instead of consulting Him ahead of time.) And through those prayers, I realized that it was right to pray beforehand, and at the same time, I realized that no matter how much prayer I put into this, I still might never be published. And I have to be okay with that. I need to accept God’s leading might not be calling me to a life of fame.
So even after all the prayers and questioning, I still felt God tugging on my heart to be obedient and to write. I didn’t get a lot of clear answers to my questions, mostly just reminders. I was reminded that sometimes when things seem so much bigger than me, it is something that God wants me to do in order to require me to lean on Him. (All I have to do is think back to getting my job and how I said after my not-so-great interview that the only way I was going to get the job would be for God to secure it for me.) And sometimes, God strips me of things I depend on (MY creativity, MY abilities, etc.) to allow His creativity and His ability to shine through. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “All writing comes by the grace of God.”
And so, I feel a little like a bluebonnet in the snow. I’m out of my comfort zone. But hopefully I will acclimate quickly and just enjoy the newness, the contrasts, and the opportunity to just hang out for as long as He allows in this world of writing and writers.
For those of you who are from Texas, snow consists of frozen water vapor that falls to the ground in soft, white crystalline flakes.
Normally, these two natural “objects” would not be found together for obvious reasons. But with Texas weather, anything can happen, including having a wintery snowfall in the midst of spring. And that’s exactly what occurred on Easter weekend this year.
But that wasn’t the only odd occurrence this spring. It was around that time that I felt God awakening in me the desire/need/urge to write.
But I didn’t immediately put pen to paper (my preferred way of writing). Instead, I did what comes naturally to me: I questioned God.
“Lord, is this really something that you want me to do? You know I had that idea a few years back to write a book, but I had to scrap that because my motives were wrong. Would you help me do this without making this about me?”
“Lord, you know I write all day long for work and often struggle with getting things to flow and sound right. Have you equipped me to do this? You know that I'm not humorous (or at least not on purpose). And my creativity, while it stuck around a little longer than my flexibility, has long since faded. And I think that most of my best writing was used up during college. So do I really have what it takes to write?”
“Okay, Lord, I’ve been reading all these books and blogs about publishing in the Christian genre, and it isn’t easy. It’s actually a LOT harder than I could have imagined. There’s a marketing aspect involved, and I’m not sure that’s part of my skill set.”
“Lord, it took me 6 tries to be able to get my little blurb accepted to join The Christian Writers’ View. Were you trying to block me or test my perseverance? This isn’t going to be easy, is it?”
As I was struggling through this process, I decided to pray beforehand for once. (I’m really guilty of going into things and asking God to bless my decisions instead of consulting Him ahead of time.) And through those prayers, I realized that it was right to pray beforehand, and at the same time, I realized that no matter how much prayer I put into this, I still might never be published. And I have to be okay with that. I need to accept God’s leading might not be calling me to a life of fame.
So even after all the prayers and questioning, I still felt God tugging on my heart to be obedient and to write. I didn’t get a lot of clear answers to my questions, mostly just reminders. I was reminded that sometimes when things seem so much bigger than me, it is something that God wants me to do in order to require me to lean on Him. (All I have to do is think back to getting my job and how I said after my not-so-great interview that the only way I was going to get the job would be for God to secure it for me.) And sometimes, God strips me of things I depend on (MY creativity, MY abilities, etc.) to allow His creativity and His ability to shine through. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “All writing comes by the grace of God.”
And so, I feel a little like a bluebonnet in the snow. I’m out of my comfort zone. But hopefully I will acclimate quickly and just enjoy the newness, the contrasts, and the opportunity to just hang out for as long as He allows in this world of writing and writers.
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