We all have that one friend. You know the one-- always sending you e-mails or leaving messages on your Facebook wall that say "did you register to vote yet," "hope you're registered to vote," "the deadline to register to vote is dangerously close--you gonna do it soon," etc. You know what, I'm a grown man, all right. I know that in order to vote you've first got to register and I've done that, OK?And if it's not that it's the candidates on TV every second repeating the same reminder over and over and over. I understand them doing it though, I mean, they are running for a pretty important position and they both really want it.
I work in downtown Raleigh where the parking situation could be described by someone far more uncouth than myself as "a bitch." For this reason, I park roughly a mile and a half from the office. In the autumn and winter months the walk is extremely pleasant. During the summer this walk becomes a hellish death march, but I don't have to pay to park, so I endure.
Last month while walking back to my car after work, I was approached by a ragged man in a dirty coat. He had an unkempt black beard and wore a wool hat atop his head even though the temperature was in the mid 90's. He put his hand out to get my attention (I was listening to my iPod). I removed the ear buds from my head and gave him my full attention. I expected a request for spare change or maybe a rambling story about how his family was stranded at the bus station and how he needed ten dollars to get them all safely home. Instead, the man cleared his throat, looked at me with his glassy eyes, and said, "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure," I responded.
"Have you registered to vote yet?"
I was a bit taken aback, but I answered. "Um, yes? I have?"
"Great!" he smiled and sauntered off down the sidewalk.
Now I don't know if this man was a representative from Bums for Obama or Hobos for McCain, but I do know he wanted to make sure I was registered for the most important presidential election in recorded history (I'm making that up). All the friendly e-mail reminders from friends who become intensely political every four years and commercials in the world were nothing compared to the message of this dirty stranger who probably woke up from his bed of gravel and broken beer bottles, poked through the garbage for breakfast, and then went about the task of reminding America how important it is to vote. If this filthy, alcoholic vagrant can go around reminding us to register, the least we can do is show up on election day, people! God bless that man and God bless America!
Incidentally, have you registered to vote yet?
