Voting gone Batty

Faun

Okay I confess! I *hate* this part. Whether it's for MySpace or Tribe or worse- a job interview, the open-ended request to talk about myself is painful - like a needle to the eye. Or like a 103 foot drop on a roller coaster. My advice: Read my blogs! You'll get to know me that way...eventually.... ...

And I mean this in a good way...

Tuesday, May, 6, 2008

I voted Friday afternoon. I was delighted to find the line longer than expected. Not that I like waiting in line but I like to see Americans exercising a most precious freedom.

In line I saw all kinds of people. Folks in business suits, shorts, and sweats; college-age, grandma’s age, my age; short people, tall people, and all permutations of skin color.

What I didn’t expect to see was a bat. Yep, you read that right – a BAT!

Not the kind you swing, the kind with wings.

Fluttering movement caught my eye; at first I thought I saw a large butterfly. Then a bird...but no...birds don’t fly like that.

It wasn’t until someone yelled “bat” that I started to believe my eyes. A bat at the polls! What could that mean?

Such contemplation was interrupted by watching people react to the bat. Some ducked. Others swatted it. One clever lady told the crowd to be quiet as bats are sensitive to sound. Then out came the guy with the broom. That’s when something happened to me. Something unexpected.

In what felt like a split second I spotted a brown paper bag, stepped out of line and devised a strategy: The bat wasn’t finding its way out of the room; perhaps I could catch it.

One thing I knew for sure, the bat should not be hit. It seem cruel and stupid. I mean, the bat wasn’t attacking anyone (they rarely do and even then it’s usually by accident)...why give it a reason?

So there I was at the voting polls chasing a bat around with a Lowes grocery bag, opening and closing exit doors and motioning at the guy wielding the straw weapon to put it down.

Nah, I didn’t see this day coming...

Though I was unsuccessful in catching the bat there’s something I’ll never forget: I was completely unafraid. This caught me by surprise. I did not think I had it in me to take the kind of action I did.

The bat finally found its way out of the voting room and I closed the door behind it. Did I help in some way? I don’t know. But back in line one lady called me a hero.

This election we can all be heroes by going to the polls and showing that we’re not asleep nor are we apathetic. And most importantly, that we are NOT AFRAID!

And a last word or two about bats. I did some research and the Chinese think of bats as a symbol of luck and happiness. In certain shamanistic beliefs, bats represent transformation.

To share a quote I thought poignant to the times: “Bats show how change is necessary although it can be painful to let go of the past. As an animal of night and the dark it can also guide people through the darkness of confusion and help them face their fears.”

If we let them, bats can be our guides. In fact bats are great helpers to humans in many ways.

If you’d like to know more about bats, visit this site:

Bat Conservation International

But before you do get out and vote!