Election Day 4 - 6:45 a.m.

The nice lady invited us all inside.

The line gratefully shuffled forward.

So now I set my chair up by the entrance to the basketball court.

I've blogged about this space  before and it has very pleasant memories.  You can see the line of voting booths far and away on the other side of the room.

Now, as the moment approached and more people came into the lobby - where we weren't allowed to lobby, so KO had to be switched off - you could feel an energy building - well, I could, anyway.

Over on the wall was a big map of the city, with all the voting districts laid out on it.  KT and I checked it out and located our respective houses, comparing them with the various voting districts.  

I was still foolish enough to think I could get some kind of net access and would sit in my chair at the front of the line trying to take notes and update this blog, my Facebook - anything.

It didn't really happen.

About 6:55 I started packing up the chair - with KT's help - she really is a classy lassie - rolling up the sleeping bag liner, putting away the electronics and getting ready to do my civic duty.

With one minute to go the precinct manager signaled me - and the line - to head down to a tape line at the end of the stanchion and wait for instructions.

Last time I was challenged by a rat-faced little squirt - I had my camera and a mental thesaurus filled with clever invective in case it happened again.

But, (sadly) it didn't.  I was waved ahead into the proper A-L line, my name checked off - didn't even need my birth certificate - I was handed two large ballots and away I went to the middle booth.  KT went to one on the end of the line.

Marking the ballot took all of ninety seconds and I'd like to take this moment to thank all of my teachers, students and mentors for teaching me to read and think - and, come to think of it, my Dad, for almost getting his skinny Cherokee ass shot blown off in WWII and making it possible for me to vote.

That's a whole 'nother story.

So, with my job done I went to the little robot machine to place in my votes - when one more responsibility came to me.  The precinct manager said that before I could put my ballots in the slot I had to swear the counter said "zero" and sign a paper to that effect.

I had to put my reading lenses on and placed my ballots on the top.  The manager covered them with his hand so that the votes could not be seen and that - that simple act - is when I think I fell in love with this country all over again.

Funny - though not surprising - I still can't share the story - and have, over the past few hours - without tearing up.  That simple gesture of respect says more about what is important about this entire process - this entire country - this entire world - than anything I can conjure up.

Needless to say KT and I shook hands - high-fiving might have been a little arch - and headed out the door.  I wanted to scream and shout.  I wanted to cry.  I wanted to sing.

Suddenly I mostly wanted to eat some breakfast.  Had to run to the store.  Had to get some kitty food.

The sun was rising over the Expo - maybe, maybe, maybe by this time tomorrow the sun of a new - or old - political life will break over the horizon of America.

We shall see.

We shall see.