Election Day!

Today was a red letter, high holy day on the Shipley redneck calendar — Election Day. Not a big election, though, mind you. The only posts up were four seats on the Strasburg Town Council.

Barbara and I loaded up early and took Gracie to Strasburg Town Hall to cast our ballots. Gracie, as usual, was ecstatic. She didn't know what we were doing, but old people said she looked cute and she got to go with Daddy to some place he took his briefcase. We were voters 468 and 469 out of about 900.

Now that all the shouting is over, I've been thinking about why I can't get the smile off my face on Election Day.

My parents back in Tennessee took me to vote every time the polls were open. Dad even took me into the (seemingly) giant mechanical lever voting booth. Some of the best times I ever had with him were when we showed up at South Greene High School. We stepped behind the plaid curtain together. He'd tell me which levers to pull, and I'd tick off the votes with glee.

"Ka-chunk! OK, boy. We want this one. Click. This one. Click. These two. Click. Click. That one. Click. OK, now pull the red lever. Ka-chunk!"

Now, living in Virginia, we're get to celebrate this holiday at least twice every year, and it brings back the same excitement that I felt as a kid, running up that concrete ramp into the foyer, getting aggravated as Mom and Dad stopped to look at the sample ballot.

Maybe that's why I'm in the line of work I'm in. I wasn't even covering these races today, but I found myself back in the newsroom after the returns came in, chatting about what a surprise it was that an incumbent was resoundingly thrown off the council.

I have to admit, it's quite a heady rush. The gladhanding, the intrigue, the gossip... I can think of few ways I'd rather spend my days than either electioneering or writing about those who are.

It's a rush even when the stakes are low. The Town Council can't send us to war, raise the income tax or even screw up the school system. At worst, they can raise the property tax by a few dollars. At best, they can finally build that sidewalk on Capon Street that's been needed for years.

But we participate. Not only because it's our duty, but because it's fun. I hope Gracie thinks so, too.
**Above, Gracie holds on to Daddy as we leave Town Hall.

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