I’m so proud to wear this sticker.

This is the second time I’ve participated in a presidential election. Chad and I started dating shortly after the 2004 election, and in those early “getting to know you” conversations he casually asked if I cared to share my vote. Uh, vote? Yeah, I didn’t get around to that… I was 20 years old and hadn’t even bothered to register. I was far more interested in Important Twenty Year Old Stuff, like perfecting my tan {there were tanning beds involved in my early twenties} and going to concerts and racking up credit card debt while working my way through college.

This just wasn’t acceptable for the responsible and informed man that would later become my husband. He gently lectured me about the importance of honoring my rights and making my voice heard. As soon as we DTR-ed and things got serious he made sure I registered; in fact, I think he may have picked up the registration packet for me! This is just one of many ways that guy has helped me grow up over the last seven years, but I digress…

The truth is, I’m not as informed on political issues as I could be. I should probably pick up a newspaper now and then or watch CNN instead of another Real Housewives rerun on Bravo. But I understand the importance of appreciating a privilege that many men and women have sacrificed their lives to protect, and I’ll do my best to never take it for granted again.

I’ll leave you with this quote:

Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves, and the only way they could do this is by not voting. — Franklin D. Roosevelt

I hope you make it to the polls today!