A Rainy Night in Virginia

Shalom:
The rain stopped just as Mark and I headed out the door to vote.
Our neighorhood grade school is a voting place, so we didn't have to travel far. Ususally we would have walked, but since I am on crutches (yes the streoid damaged my right tigh so much, I have to use crutches) Mark wanted to drive.
When we arrived, one of the volunteers offered to lead me further along the line. Such a nice lady! She got us right up to the Gym door just to the spot where people were entering the voting area.
Everyone was so nice and only one older lady got upset. Mark was permitted to come with me as he was assisting me. The older woman felt Mark should have been made to stand at the back of the line! But the people around her drowned out her protest as others felt my husband needed to be by my side. And since the voter offical had no problem with Mark being at my side or the fact that I was allowed to get in front of her, she quickly quieted down.
The line moved quickly.
The last election here was for the Goveror seat. We had just moved to our new apartment. However, the DMV did not have my married name and I was still regristered under my former name. Which meant we had to go to my old neighorhood for me to vote.
This year, it was Mark's turn.
Mark had filed for an Absentee Ballot because he would still be in Iraq in November.
However, Mark came home much earlier than we had thought.
His ballot had been mailed to him.
In Iraq.
In September.
To Ramadi, where he had been station until April, 2008.
So, phone calls had to be made for that a ballot could be found and used for Mark to vote. As Mark filled out his ballot, it turns out two servicewomen, one Navy, the other Marine, had the exact same problem. But all three were able to vote.
As we left the school, we stopped for coffee. A Mum and Dad had set up a coffee tent to serve folks who had just voted free coffee and muffins. Their two sons, Boy Scouts were with them. The parents wanted to use this time to teach their boys the importance of voting, that is part of our privilege as well as our responsibility as Amercian citzens.
We when went to Starbucks, did a bit of shooping, talked, prayed and took a very long nap.