Heartwarming crowds

Usually, I feel quite ill at things like graduation services, weddings, and anything that includes unnecessary pomp and circumstance.  I know I'm supposed to feel pride and warmth from being a part of some phenomenal occasion like seeing 18 years old shipped off to the real world and seeing two people blend their lives forever.  But I don't. I usually see awkward little kids dressed up like adults, pretending they're capable of impressive, life changing decisions.  (Both for weddings and graduations!)

Today I voted.  And I felt the warmth.  We were all bundled (or as bundled as you get in Tucson in November) at 5.45 a.m., with a line wrapped around the small church that we were assigned to.  We were all shivering from the cold and the excitement.  And none of us knew what the hell we were doing.  The people running the sha-bang had changed everything since last time around and they were not expecting there to be a least a hundred eager voters waiting for them before the polls opened.  We were bumbling into each other, jumping into the wrong lines, and looking excitedly at the sample polls plastered on the walls.  But we were all happy to be there.  There were no lunchroom political debates.  No one was pushing or loudly proclaiming who should really be the next prez.  We were all just happy to be there and be a part of it.  Who knows how this exciting day will end?  

All I know is I finally got the warm and fuzzies from an event; I didn't hate everyone there!  We were all doing something good, even if we were all voting in opposition of each other.  We were all just glad to see other people who cared... about anything... about anything important.  I was not in sparse company and I felt warm this (relatively) cold November morning before dawn.