As I was watching Today this morning on NBC, I was saddened at the story of people who will be suffering election withdrawal after the election on Tuesday. Don't get me wrong; it is great that so many people seem to have been energized as a result of this election. It is such a wonderful thing that people have finally found the motivation to exercise their right to vote and take advantage of their privilege to vote. The only sad thing about this participation is that it took the current situation, however you want to look at it, to get people to finally care about casting a vote for their leaders. How many people have never even voted before this election? The numbers are pathetic as historically, registered voter turnout on election day has always been around the thirty percent mark on average...even with the special election in Indiana last spring where I figured that the turnout would be markedly higher due to Andre Carson running to fill Julia Carson's seat...it wasn't. So now, my problem is with people who apparently are going to temporarily lose their minds, shut down, and not be able to live life, once this election cycle is over. It would probably be insulting to many for me to remind them that Obama and McCain do not care about you (neither do the third party candidates, but then, to many Obama and McCain supporters, they aren't important enough to be taken seriously). Obama and McCain care about getting elected. They could care less if you eat a bunch of leftover Halloween chocolate in a depression induced binge on Wednesday morning. They could care less that you spent countless hours volunteering for them and going to their rallies (shouldn't you have been at work (but that's another story altogether)). They could care less that this election means more to you than anything you have ever voted for in the past (except maybe for American Idol and America's Got Talent, which again is another sad story for another day about how so many people take voting for reality shows more seriously than voting for people who actually have the power to impact their everyday lives). Obama and McCain do not care about you. They care about themselves and they care about how their philosophies can make you like them better through policy and practice so you will vote for them again in the future. DO NOT MAKE THIS ELECTION PERSONAL. IT IS A BUSINESS DECISION FOR THEM AND IT SHOULD BE A BUSINESS DECISION FOR YOU!!
Now, my solution for all who have continued to read this far and are still with me (maybe hating me, but that's ok). Take some time to review the pictures that I have posted below, pictures from the real world, pictures of life in downtown Indianapolis at a place that I love so much, and that more people should probably pull themselves away from their televisions and computers and experience, the downtown canal. These pictures were taken in September, before the green started to go away. My hope is that if you feel yourself in a time of despair for whatever reason this week, that you can look at these pictures and feel a bit comforted, a bit happier, and maybe a bit more motivated to live your life to it's fullest and not sit around and sulk because your candidate did not win, or just because the campaign cycle, which has been going on for way too long, is now over...
I love the bubbling fountains. You should go see them for yourself.
Sometimes, a nice time for reflection in the shade lets you put things back into the perspective of reality.
How could you not want to be spending the day here if you are in Indianapolis. Yes, I would rather be at the beach, but that's not an option here.
Just imagine the peacefulness if you and yours, and your dog perhaps, came down here for a nice midday stroll. You will temporarily forget about any problems that you may be having.
Look, you could even bring a blanket and some picnic food and drink and have a nice afternoon overlooking the fountain.
Stand tall like this tree!! Don't let post-election depression get the better of you!!
Peacefulness, serenity, trees, leaves, grass, the sounds of people laughing and playing, and yes, even the sights and scents and sounds of bums and beggars occasionally. It's all part of the real world. Electoral campaigns, while real, do not reflect reality, but are rather ever lengthening events where propaganda is used to make you feel and buy into the hype. This is not a bad thing, people need to be energized and active in helping choose what direction their localities, states, and country will go in, but when it is all over, you need to get back to reality and not find yourself stuck in the quicksand of the political campaign process!!
I love the bubbling fountains. You should go see them for yourself.
Sometimes, a nice time for reflection in the shade lets you put things back into the perspective of reality.
How could you not want to be spending the day here if you are in Indianapolis. Yes, I would rather be at the beach, but that's not an option here.
Just imagine the peacefulness if you and yours, and your dog perhaps, came down here for a nice midday stroll. You will temporarily forget about any problems that you may be having.
Look, you could even bring a blanket and some picnic food and drink and have a nice afternoon overlooking the fountain.
Stand tall like this tree!! Don't let post-election depression get the better of you!!
Peacefulness, serenity, trees, leaves, grass, the sounds of people laughing and playing, and yes, even the sights and scents and sounds of bums and beggars occasionally. It's all part of the real world. Electoral campaigns, while real, do not reflect reality, but are rather ever lengthening events where propaganda is used to make you feel and buy into the hype. This is not a bad thing, people need to be energized and active in helping choose what direction their localities, states, and country will go in, but when it is all over, you need to get back to reality and not find yourself stuck in the quicksand of the political campaign process!!
