Deeds Not Words

I’ve been motivated by an angry fire lately. And, at the same time, a strong desire to just create joy. Do the two coexist? Well, I like to think so. I would hate to think I’m all one or the other. And… in some weird way, one fuels the other.

There are personal goals for 2010 that are agitating my brain to do something beyond think and talk. But outside my little vision of self, there are some huge things happening in the world at large. God. Awful. Terrible. Tragic. Horror in Haiti. I hope I don’t have to explain that to you, or why I feel justified in those adjectives. I’d like to think if you are my reader, that you can at least agree with me about that.

The one thing with which you may not agree is my choice for Kennedy’s replacement. Martha Coakley. Okay, I’m not going to lie. I went with Khazei in the primary. But I wasn’t sad that she won. I was proud enough of her victory to sign myself up to volunteer.

But… here is where my fire failed. They wanted me to make phone calls. I HATE talking on the phone. I really, truly despise it. I lose track of my cell phone all the time and use up all my tolerance on the communication required of me at work. So I… blech… decided not to participate.

To justify this wimping out I argued with myself… I hate talking on the phone. And I REALLY hate it when people call me to solicit anything. Even if it’s just a vote. So… why would I want to do that to anyone else? And, if I’m that negative and I LIKE Coakley… why do I think that calling people up is going to engender good will?

Course, the thing is… I realized when I was talking to my roommate the other night… that there are a lot of people out there who just don’t care. Who don’t pay attention. Who determine that elections are for those crazy political nuts. Okay, maybe that’s me. But … the fact I go out to every election now isn’t what qualifies me as such. So… phone calls are unfortunately necessary. Just to wake up the oblivious and remind them that next Tuesday isn’t just recovery from a long holiday weekend.

I like Coakley. I want her to win. Do I want her to win less because all I’m going to do is write this blog? NO. Obviously, she stands for things that I wish to see happen. I applaud so many of her actions as our Attorney General. And I can say, not in an attempt to thwart modesty, that I’ve met her. She’s a very kind, thoughtful, interested person, willing to engage in a conversation with this peon who was exhausted at the end of a very long fundraiser. I want her to win. I think she will do our state and our country good.

I think it will be very sad if she doesn’t win. If the legacy of the Kennedy seat goes to Brown, who infuriates me. But if the Massachusetts voters decide that… well, we just wait it out and thank the heavens it isn’t a full term.

What will be sad, what will be heartbreaking is if people don’t go out to vote Tuesday. If we as a public throw away our awareness for the shinier, prettier news of Tiger Woods or the American Idol auditions. If the Democratic sympathizers are too lazy to get to the polls on Tuesday and let Brown slither his way into the Senate.

Don’t throw your vote away. Don’t take it for granted. Don’t you dare complain if the other side wins and you didn’t seize the opportunity to change events. Maybe you won’t make a phone call. But you can vote. On Tuesday.