Wednesday, November 5, 2008

It's Over

I've taken a break from blogging after my last rant about the annoying pressure so many, including several bloggers in the mommy blogging world, were giving to vote for whom they were voting. I didn't want all my posts to become consumed by the election and my opinions like so many others' blog posts were becoming. Even my favorite bloggers were putting up 'funny' You Tube videos meant to insult a candidate (or, more accurately, their running mate- ahem!) or writing paragraphs in their blogs that made sweeping accusations about a candidate based on news snippets taken out of context. I know we all have a right to our opinions on the matter, but I don't read mommy blogs to get smacked in the face with politics, and I don't think I'm alone in that. Therefore, I decided to lay low and take a break from blogging so as not to add any more negativity and political chatter to the blog-o-sphere (does anyone use that term anymore?).

Now that the election is over, I'm breathing a sigh of relief. I hope we can all make a fresh start -- our country AND the mommy blogging world. I'm hoping, too, that I can finally go back to writing posts about something truly important: me! ;-)

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Eye Of The Storm

I have said it before, and now, with the final weeks of this election, I feel I must say it again -- I'm tired of it all. I want this election to be over and done with. I want the next leader of the free world to be decided upon and for our country to be able to move on. I want people to get what they want so that I no longer have to read or hear the desperation anymore. I want people to stop urging me to vote, claiming that they don't want to tell me who to choose but making it pretty darn clear that if I don't vote for their candidate, I'm uninformed, unenlightened and down-right wrong.

I am one of those undecided voters that each candidate wants in their camp come November 4th. Undecided is a difficult spot in which to be right now. I wish I had the passion for a candidate that others have, but being very moderate in my views, I have a hard time choosing. I don't view either side as evil or, conversely, as the savior of our troubled country. I think both candidates care deeply about our country--they just have differing views on what is best for it. (But, lets be honest, both men are deeply ambitious as well --otherwise, neither would be where they are today.) I see both sides as having solutions--some I agree with, some I don't. I'm in limbo, and I wish that was not the case. I wish I felt strongly enough to go canvas my community in an attempt to put my candidate in the White House. I wish I was able to throw caution to the wind and blatantly urge others to vote for someone I want desperately to win. But, that's not where I am. I am simply just trying to make up my mind amid the wind storm of opinions swirling around me.

You see, I feel that no matter who ends up leading, I know our country will recover and prevail because that is who we are. That is what we do. We are strong and smart and ready for change--and believe it or not, no matter who wins, we will have change. It's a universal law that nothing is forever--except change. We are at a low point now, but with the ebb and flow that is part of this world, we will get back our footing and be able to stand strong. I believe our country will strengthen and prevail regardless of the number of 'blue' or 'red' votes on the electoral map at the end of election day.

I hope that in the next couple of weeks, I see more people telling those of us who are undecided why their candidate is best, not why the other guy is so horribly bad. I hope they stop telling me that this is a historic election and that I should vote--all in a veiled attempt to keep me from voting for the one they think is the bad guy. Just give me the straight facts about the guy you like if you're passionate enough to voice your opinion. Give me something positive to chew on while I make my decision, not a mouthful of hatred. Hatred comes from fear-- and believe me, fear is running rampant on both sides of the aisle.

So, for a while longer, here I sit, still undecided, in the eye of the storm, just waiting for it to all be over. I'll try to look past all the fear and negativity outside and make a decision--here in the center of it all--with which I can live peacefully.