Love the passion with your voice and voting...I know that in the past there was a battle to give you that right...There are some in power that would like to take that right away!!! Also I can not believe there is such an issue electing women to high office...they are a lot stronger and smarter then some men give them credit for...but glad more and more women are now using that voice to vote...Hopeful one day it makes a difference if that difference is needed!!!
Every year I mail in my "absentee" ballot. Lovely convenience! When I first registered to vote I was on Hollywood blvd with my Super Eight movie camera, capturing the colorful night life folks. I saw a voter registration table and signed on to the Peace and Freedom party. Year likely 1969. Wikipedia says "The Peace and Freedom Party (PFP) is a socialist political party in the United States which operates mostly in California.[2] It was formed in 1966 from anti-Vietnam War and pro-civil rights movements.". From then to now the values hold true for me - though I've switched to the party that is more likely to share my values these daze :-)!! Voting - the least I can do as well as my responsibility and civic duty. Voting for the least harmful surpasses not voting at all.
That’s fair. I also have a unique relationship with running too. I admire people who do it, as I used to do cross country in high school. But I suffered a severe injury a few years back and now I can’t run for more than a mile or so without chronic pain. I have however, found comfort and joy in biking! Maybe I’ll bike to my polling place next November in honor of your tradition!
This was so thoughtfully and honestly written! Amazing!!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Thank you so much:)
Love the passion with your voice and voting...I know that in the past there was a battle to give you that right...There are some in power that would like to take that right away!!! Also I can not believe there is such an issue electing women to high office...they are a lot stronger and smarter then some men give them credit for...but glad more and more women are now using that voice to vote...Hopeful one day it makes a difference if that difference is needed!!!
Thank you for this. It is hard to maintain as things are, but I'm doing it!
It actually blows my mind…None and I mean none of us would be here if it was not for the strength of a women!!! That alone deserves love and respect
I could not love that more
Every year I mail in my "absentee" ballot. Lovely convenience! When I first registered to vote I was on Hollywood blvd with my Super Eight movie camera, capturing the colorful night life folks. I saw a voter registration table and signed on to the Peace and Freedom party. Year likely 1969. Wikipedia says "The Peace and Freedom Party (PFP) is a socialist political party in the United States which operates mostly in California.[2] It was formed in 1966 from anti-Vietnam War and pro-civil rights movements.". From then to now the values hold true for me - though I've switched to the party that is more likely to share my values these daze :-)!! Voting - the least I can do as well as my responsibility and civic duty. Voting for the least harmful surpasses not voting at all.
Love hearing the story. And yes, it is a pretty imperfect system, but using it is better than that!
I really enjoyed reading this piece. Very thought provoking and so true...we have our voice and we have each other. :)
Thank you for this. It's kind of amazing how you can lose sight of what matters, but in the end, it's really quite simple.
Thank you for the honor of reading about your healing journey. 🙏🏻
This reflection turns voting into a ritual of breath and belonging, where sweat becomes a symbol of agency.
Running to the polls is no longer about distance it is about reclaiming a voice once silenced.
Each stride carries friendship, resilience, and the sacred reminder that presence itself is power.
Her story humanises politics by grounding it in vulnerability, in the courage to speak after years of shrinking.
Recovery is woven into the ritual: whispers of truth growing into declarations of selfhood and care.
The act of showing up becomes a quiet rebellion, proof that even small gestures hold vast meaning.
Scars of silence transform into strength, reminding us that persistence is more powerful than perfection.
Voting is reframed as embodiment lungs breathing, feet moving, voice rising into communal solidarity.
She refuses to shrink, choosing instead to stand fully in the space that is hers to claim.
Ultimately, the essay humanises democracy itself: not abstract, but lived in sweat, breath, and shared voices.
If this space offered you something meaningful, you may support me with a symbolic coffee, warm, of course, and full of heart.
https://ko-fi.com/adriao
This is, once again, beyond beautiful. Your words make me teary every single time.
While I admire your commitment to actually run to the polls, I will opt to walk to my mailbox 😅
Well, to be fair running is complicated for me, but it's a fun tradition.
That’s fair. I also have a unique relationship with running too. I admire people who do it, as I used to do cross country in high school. But I suffered a severe injury a few years back and now I can’t run for more than a mile or so without chronic pain. I have however, found comfort and joy in biking! Maybe I’ll bike to my polling place next November in honor of your tradition!
I love that. I'm so sorry about your injury, but I'm glad you found a good replacement.
I’m just thankful I can still walk and have motor function. 🙂 makes you appreciate the small things we often take for granted.
Truth