Vote

I love voting, despite the depressing ballot box results of the recent past.  There's a thrill to civic duty that never quite goes away, no matter that the duty itself consists of trundling into squeaky-floored school gyms or mouldering church basements and either standing in line irritably, or not standing in line while burbling in righteous irritation about what said lack of line denotes about your neighbors' civic dutifulness.

The actual event speeds by- you tick some boxes, stew in mild shame over not having done enough homework to weigh in on the eye-crossing, LSAT-like county charter amendments, click confirm and listen to the pleasant whir of the machine befor shuffling over to receive your benediction- the "I VOTED" sticker you'll slap on the back of your kid.

Then it's out into the summer rain, a short trudge home, some coffee- a citizen of the world.