Vote Wisely!

I was thinking earlier that before people vote they should ride the public transportation in their town. I did today. The numbers of wheelchair bound, sick, mentally ill, impoverished, drunk, drug addicted, educationally failed... who are probably trying ten times as hard as any of us who judge are sobering. 

One young 20-something woman who greeted me had to be well over 400lbs. She was so warm and pleasant. How could she be? I tried to help her off of the bus. She was so large and awkward that she had to descend the three bus steps backwards. After she was safely on the ground she smiled broadly and waved goodbye to me. I was amazed how at peace she seemed. I felt embarrassed.

A middle-aged woman and her husband seemed to take forever to board. They had 8 or 10 grocery bags and several boxes of frozen meats. A bag fell over to reveal a couple slabs of ribs. The couple started a conversation with two different men near them. One had just finished a program job for those with cognitive issues, and the other, an elderly man. The woman was in a wheelchair. She explained that she and her husband had so much food in tow because she sold dinners from her house. Nah, that's not legal, but that's not the point. The point is that she found herself unable to walk and, has turned her skills into a business to feed her family. Her said that she has taught her husband and sons how to cook and package the meals for times when she isn't well enough. She also shared that she just became her church's Secretary which gives her great joy. The woman offered the two guys shopping and cooking tips. They all enjoyed each other's company.

A drunk man boarded and barely made it to his seat. He seemed in great pain as he loudly moaned after sitting. Another man who was his friend got on several blocks down. The intoxicated little man could have been 30 or 60, who knows? He seemingly fell asleep on his friend's shoulder. A river of beer made its way down the bus as people feared aloud that it was pee. It was actually the man's 40oz beer being wasted. He didn't wake.

There was more to see, but you get the point? The people without a voice in the economy are struggling, most are fighting harder than any of us. Instead of judging them for not being us and dismissing their struggles as bad luck or poor choices, how about we start voting for people and policies that will uplift the dismissed?