No Sticker

I voted today. On September 17th. Not on Election Day, like normal people, which isn't for another six weeks or so. I voted in my kitchen; not in a voting booth. I used a black pen, not one of those fancy voting machines. I filled in the bubbles with my black pen; I did not worry about "hanging chads."

One of the perks of maintaining my Florida residency while living where ever the Army chooses to send us, is that on Election Day I never have to stand in a long line at a polling place. In fact, since I came of voting age, 16 years ago, I have never once voted on Election Day, in an official polling place, in the state of Florida; I've always voted absentee. I even voted absentee the first time I voted, in 1996, because I was going to be in Missouri, visiting my very new husband, on Election Day.

It's actually kind of nice being able to cast my vote at my kitchen counter, while eating sunflower seeds and talking to Craig on the phone. Don't worry, I wasn't terribly distracted and I double checked and made sure I voted for the right people. I was good on the candidates, but those Constitutional Amendments are CONFUSING. The fact that I have so much trouble deciphering the wording makes me feel like a total idiot. Please tell me I'm not the only one who feels this way.

Overall, absentee voting is a great experience; the only down side is that I've never gotten an "I Voted" sticker. Nope, not once have I received a sticker. They don't include "I Voted" stickers in your absentee ballot envelope. I think they should.

On the other hand, I'm not one of those who thrives on rewards like stickers and pats on the back and I admit that wearing an "I Voted" sticker on September 17 is pretty ridiculous.

I'll just add the absence of earning an "I Voted" sticker to the long list of life disappointments I've been accruing all these years. You know, right up there with dropping out of college, possessing limited marketable skills and still not knowing what I want to be when I grow up.

:)