Career Plans at Fire Station No. 3

Yesterday marked our local mayoral and alderman elections in Starkville. Primaries and run-offs passed a few weeks ago, so Tuesday’s ballot was the final determination for our community’s leaders for the next four years.

Hub and I caravaned to Fire Station No. 3 after the daily daycare pickup event at 6pm. I kept the Fire Station No. 3 bit under wraps since I know from experience that they have the fire trucks squirreled away behind big metal doors when the station is employed as a polling station. If word got out in the back seat that a Fire Station was involved, we would have had to page some Fire Chief around town to pull one of those shiny suckers out of hiding to avoid an election day mutiny.

Any time we do something a little out of the norm, especially on the way home, the conversation with my gifts is always pretty interesting.  This one went something like this:

Squiggle: “Long way, Mommy”

Mommy: “Well, today we are going to vote, so we can’t go the long way.”

Little Drummer Boy: “Boat?”

Baby Girl: “uh Da Da Da Da Daaah”

Mommy: “No, vote. Mommy and Daddy are going to vote before we go home.”

Squig: “Is waaaay”

Mommy: “No, sweetie, we have to go this way to vote.”

LDB: “Why we have to vote before we go home?”

Mommy: “You know how you like to watch the Charlie Brown Election movie where Linus runs for class president and all his friends get to vote for him? Well, today is our election to decide who will be the leader of our city. So Mommy and Daddy are going to vote.”

Squig: “Trees!”

LDB: “Well, I think I can be the leader.”

Mommy: (with stifled giggle) “You do? So you can be the leader?”

BG: “Aaaah Ma Ma Ma”

Squig: “Whass At, Mommy?”

This question came up quite often referring to any number of random objects hanging out around Fire Station No. 3. I tried my best to answer, but I must confess I didn’t have an adequate response for the stray fire hydrant. But, then after Daddy finished his turn voting…

LDB: “I’m gonna be the leader of our town.”

Mommy: “Ok, that sounds good. I would vote for you every time, sweetie.”

LDB: “Good.”

Starkville residents seem to have been more involved (and invested) in this local election season as evidenced my much public debate, twittering of election night results and waving signs on street corners. That’s good to see. The younger citizenry seems to have been more interested this year in who would be the leaders of our town, possibly because we had quite a few younger candidates seeking service. For the first time in my voting life, we actually put a few yard signs for favorite candidates in our front yard.

I’d like to commend my friends Mike and Rachel Allen for Mike’s decision to run for Ward 4 Alderman. It was a great commitment for their family, and I admire their willingness to make it. Although Mike didn’t win, his desire to participate in the process is the same desire that spurred the creation of this country and the enumeration of the rights we hold dear.  Mike finished his thank you letter to voters with this statement,

“Again, as a candidate, I thank you for the chance to participate in the political process. As Americans, let us never forget that blessing or take it for granted.”

Indeed. The opportunity to participate, whether by voting, by running for office, by writing a letter in support of a bill or by standing in protest of a constitutional amendment or judge’s ruling is every American’s right and privilege.

Little Drummer Boy may never actually be the leader of our town. But the promise of tomorrow is that, without fear, he can choose to try.