Thankfulness: freedom

Those of you who know me know that Election Day is one of my favorite days of the year. But, if you look at my Facebook or Twitter, you’ll see that I’ve been silent today. Social media scares and excites me on Election Day. It makes me excited to see how many of my friends are getting out to vote, but it scares me that our opinions are sometimes so one-sided. I have a really strong feeling about this election, but I respect the right of my friends to have an equally strong but opposite feeling about the results tonight. So, I’m keeping my opinions to myself and hoping that people are making educated votes today.

I’ve been plopped in front of CNN since the polls closed tonight. It’s bringing me back to the 2008 election when we were seniors in college. I think 2008 was the height of my political excitement. Penn State had a huge Obama presence, and I got to see him in a rally on the front steps of Old Main. It felt like a moment from the 60s…college students rallying and crying and getting out the vote. I had never been more proud to be a young American. We made red and blue cocktails and colored in an electoral map as the results were reported. We wore patriotic headdresses and red, white and blue striped outfits. And we blared Obama’s campaign song from our balcony when he won. I think a lot of people thought we were crazy, but I was such a proud American.

Today was a little different. I voted before work in regular clothes. I didn’t talk about my vote during the day with coworkers, and now I’m watching CNN with my parents and keeping our fingers crossed on Florida.

But what I’m most thankful for tonight is living in this beautiful country. A place where all of us can cast our vote and celebrate our differences and enjoy our freedom. There’s been a lot of talk about women’s rights in this election. Our access to birth control and healthcare and fair wages. And I’m totally for all of that. But when I look at women in third world countries without clean water for their babies or access to financial markets, I can’t help but be blessed for the opportunities that I have. Red or blue, elephant or donkey…we live in a beautiful country.

To another term,

Lia