Election Day

We always had election day off -- a school holiday. How wonderful. I don't remember much of what I did during those days, but I remember the reason why we had a holiday -- the schools were used for voting places.

Well, when we moved to Ohio, I found out -- after keeping my kindergartner home from school on election day -- that in Ohio they didn't close the schools, because 35 years ago, they didn't use the schools for polling places, or at least not in our community.

However, that has changed. I found out this year that after all those years of either teaching on that "holiday" or sending my children to school on that holiday, that, in fact, Ohio finally caught up with other places in the USA and made election day a holiday. Lots of offices were closed also, which makes voting NOT AN OPTION as far as I'm concerned. If you don't have to work on that day, you have absolutely no excuse for not voting.

Yes, I voted....

And.... let's reminisce.

In 1994 I received a phone call at 2:00 a.m. (the morning after election day) which woke me up and I was told by the election board that I had won as Representative to the Ohio State Board of Education from the 3rd District (that would be Cincinnati and a few of its neighboring towns, approximately 1 million people). After doing the happy dance, I went back to bed, but didn't sleep. I received a phone call the next day and was invited to attend the next meeting of the Ohioe SBE in Columbus and would I be there-- they needed a head count for lunch!

That said, I was remembering that campaign. I campaigned in Warren county with John Boehner -- and I'm sure he remembers me (NOT). And I campaigned in Cincinnati with both Rob Portman (new US Senator from Ohio), and Steve Chabot, newly elected Congressman from Cincinnati west -- taking over a Blue Dog Dems seat. Yeah!

I have to say that all three men were back then fiscally conservative and consistently received high marks from the government waste people -- high meaning good, so they might actually have received low marks. Whatever. They got the marks for being cheap!!!!! Don't you love it?

All three are back in Congress. I campaigned with those men, and can honestly say that I think all three men are good men.

I recall the children of Mr. Chabot and Mr. Portman being tiny, almost babies. Now they will be almost 20. I recall Mr. Portman rushing from the airport to a rally, being greeted at the rally by his then two-year-old, him picking up his son, and keeping him on his shoulder for most of the rally.

I have to tell you it brought tears to my eyes. I have always loved to watch the interaction of men with their sons, no matter the age. Men being kind and loving to their sons.

So, election day passed, and since I was thinking of the "holiday", and while it's a bit late to be getting this entry posted, I needed to reminisce about that "holiday" that I don't remember, except that it was a day off from school, and probably cold, and most likely rainy.

My job as an SBE rep? I loved it. I did what my constiuents asked of me. I had a two-day turn-around personal agenda. If I got a request, I determined to settle the matter in two days, for the good or bad. Mostly good. I loved that "job." I loved serving the people, working hard for no pay (except for actual meetings) to keep anyone who called me happy. Best job of my life.

I think I've said that before (best job of my life). Seems I loved most of my jobs, didn't I?

ttfn