I Voted

Back in the day, when I was a fresh faced 17 1/2 year old ready to take on the world, I registered to vote for the first time. Of course, I missed the 1982 general election, because I didn't turn 18 until the next week. Undaunted, I went on about my life, graduated high school and headed off to college. That first year of college, I got my very first jury summons.

 Over spring break.

I started to check the "Full Time College Student" box and send the summons back, but my mother said, "Oh, no. You can't do that because they know you're home on spring break. They'll put you in jail if you don't show up."

Being young and naive to the ways of the world, I believed her, so off to jury duty I went. And got selected to sit on a jury.

Now, in retrospect, being older and wiser, I realize that I should have checked the "Full time college student" box, because what if the trial had gone on longer than my spring break? What would I have done then? I didn't, and I spent most of my very first college spring break on jury duty.

 I know it's supposed to be random, but that first summons opened the floodgates. It seemed like I was being sent another one every six months. I got one when I was in Navy Basic Training. I even got one when I was in Italy. I've gotten a few since I moved here despite the fact that I told them I no longer lived at that address.  They still sent them.

Every time I turned around, I was getting yet another jury summons, and I'm sad to say that it soured me on the whole process. I vowed that the next place I lived, I would never register to vote so that I wouldn't have to keep going through all that mess. It just wasn't worth it.

 I have kept that vow, until this year.

So, what turned me from being an apathetic citizen to a Broken Glass Voter? I love my country, and I can no longer sit idly by and watch it being destroyed from within. My voice may only be one voice, but by golly, it will be heard. I will do whatever it takes to stop the monstrosity that has become our federal government.

Will we win this election? I don't know. I pray that we do. But no matter the outcome, I will no longer be silent. I will educate myself. I will educate others. I will be in constant contact with my Congressman. And I will vote, come hell or high water.

Jury duty be damned.