They Voted

A small gang of young adults descended from their brownstone walk ups barely awake yet fully alive with civic duty and pride. They started toward their polling station. The murky morning sky was still a-twinkle with stars, it seemed that they too wanted to be around for this historic day. The air was brisk, cold, promising.

The boy lamented that his face missed his beard and the warmth it provided while one of the girls made sure everyone had their ID and coffee. They all recounted past elections and past voting days. Where were they at? How early did they get up? Was their sleep, the night prior, just as restless?

The unspoken hope shared between them was that one day they'd be able to tell this story as "the day I voted for President Barack Obama." They absorbed the details and tried to commit them to memory. She'll remember the leaves carpeting the sidewalk, the nostalgic wrestling of the yellow, orange and red fodder. He'll remember the deserted streets and how he defiantly walked down the middle of them. She'll remember that someone giggled as she warned to watch out for dog poop.

They'll all remember descending upon the church, their local polling station. From the still of the early morning emerged a surreal hub of activity. Dozens and dozens of people flocking from all directions, eager to get in line. Eager to vote. Making their way to the back of the church, the four-some realize that the line is already winding round and a round.

Their time, their early morning, their comfy warm beds are sacrifices that don't even compare to those already given for their right to be standing, waiting, in this line. The excitment builds.

The doors open, the line slowly moves. There are mistakes...But they voted. They voted for change, for hope.... for themselves.

They voted.