Day 8: Muddle; The Election

Photo Credit Annie Hock

 

Muddle 

This choice feels like two sides of the same coin
It is impossible to foresee the ramifications 

The culture says, "But you must! It is your privilege! Your right and your duty!

We are forced to play this game 

A game rigged by power money influence (my state is not even in contention) 

My vote is symbolic at best 

But symbols
Like the cross I wear around my neck 

Symbols are rife with meaning

When I was much younger 

I learned to ignore the discomfort
To stay and play the game

"You can be the baby or the dog"

The girls said when we played house at recess

Either way my hands and pants would be caked black with dirt from crawling  

I stayed 

it was better 

than wandering the playground alone

When the first Jr high school boy to pay me any attention
accused me of "wanting some" because
 I neglected the zipper on my pants
I turned three shade of red, fixed it
shook my head, jumped back on my bike
And followed him on the paper route.

When the youth group spoke about modesty
I assumed the comment was all my fault
And thanked God for His mercy, it was only a comment
It could have been so much worse.

Today I don't have to get on my knees

Today I can say "this is not acceptable"

Today I choose the third option

Today I can validate myself 

Today I can respect my body as the temple of God

Today I look both choices straight in the eye
Today without a hint of a blush I say "No"!

With a pivot I turn
Sharp like a slap 

I refuse to pretend 

I refuse to  muddle my hands in this mess

Today I will vote for me!

The timid, gangling, buck tooth sixth grader with big ideas
You know, she wanted to be president
She had the audacity to think 

she could change the world (if only she could overcome her anxiety and raise her hand in class)

I will vote for her

She
had big dreams and a proven track record!

She may not have changed the world
Bringing peace to the Middle East and ending poverty and hunger

But she changed her world
Everyday

I vote to implement the tenets of that  platform.