Final Thoughts

For the last couple of years almost, and especially since the beginning of this year, I have been following the elections. I watched coverage of all the primaries, watched all the debates on both sides, watched both of the conventions. At times it felt all consuming and I thought that's it I'm done with it only to turn back to the news after a few minutes. I've had FNC on so much in the last year that their logo is burned into my plasma screen right there on the bottom left!

I have figured for a while that McCain was probably going to lose. I still held out hope that something would happen to put him over the top but nothing ever did. I do, however, think it is a testament that even after being outspent as he was and after having dealt with the bias in the media for the past few months that the race ended as close as it did (as I write this it's 51% 48% in the popular vote).
And let me just say that I am very proud to live in the Great State of Georgia where the margin by which McCain won was so big.

But in any case, I have to say that even though I'm disappointed with the outcome of the election I also keep reminding myself that it's not the end of the world. Civilization is not going to cease to exist. Tomorrow, the sun will come up again and we'll wake up and start our day over like we did this morning and yesterday morning and countless other weekday mornings and go about our day. And even though I'm going to have to hear President Obama yell at me every time he gives a speech for at least the next 4 years, life will go on.

My mom always tells me that I seem to have a knack for landing on my feet or for at least making it all seem so easy, as far as life goes. I got married when I was 18 and moved away with The Army Dude and started our life. When I was 19 I left my job and everything that was familiar on this side of The Pond and moved to Germany. We started over there and started our family and 3 years later we settled back in Georgia and bought a house. Each time we have up rooted and started over and each time we bettered our situation. It was never easy but we always just made the best of everything. We never expected anything from anyone every time I had to give up the latest well paying job to start over somewhere else, not even pity. Tonight I'm telling myself the same thing, we just have to make the best of it.

The Army Dude and I have been half joking about claiming a bunch of exemptions on our taxes next year so we don't pay anything from our checks and then just pay all the money back at the end of the year. We weren't really serious about it, or at least I wasn't, until tonight. My friend, the same one that thinks Sarah Palin is stupid because of what they say on the view, called to gloat earlier. She mentioned how mad she was about her daughters not voting today for the person that will keep their entitlements going. Wow, just wow. After we hung up I kept thinking about it and the more I thought about it the madder I got. I started thinking that right now there is money that I earn every day that I never see because it goes out in taxes. This is money that I earn that goes out and helps pay for things like these entitlements. Now I get up every day at 6:30 to go to work, I work from 8-5 Monday through Friday. After work I come home, do our extra curricular activities, feed my family, take care of my home and study for school. I usually don't go to bed till at least 2:00 am just to start over again in 4 and half hours. In other words I work my butt off, why should this money come out of my check every week to pay for entitlements for these people that think it's a right (and that they need to vote for the person that will keep it going)? And that's when I thought no more. I will gladly write the check at the end of the year and pay my taxes in full but it is not going to come out of my check every week before I can even see it after I worked for it. I guess that feeling comes from my mom, who always told me that the only person I should ever depend on is myself and that I never should expect anyone else to take care of me, that was my own responsibility.

And with that. I'm going to spend some time with The Army Dude and then go to bed.