Christmas is coming

I drove from Warner Robins back home to Griffin in the twilight. The orange of the western sky backlit the trees that I passed on the road. I was following the tail lights of trucks as my goal. Its a week and two days from Thanksgiving and people are already putting up their Christmas trees and lights. As I drove into Griffin from my trip to Luthersville, I could see the beginnings of Christmas lights in the cool of the evening. This time of year is one of my favorites around here. The leaves are beginning to drop from the trees. Night comes earlier. I can see the silhouette of the trees against the twilight. Driving around the state, I feel warm and comforted in my car. Tonight, I drove west toward Luthersville. Traffic slowed in Tunis because a deer decided to cross the highway in the dim light and was hit by a car. When I passed the scene, the deputy sheriffs were standing in the creeping darkness, staring at the carcus in the road, like mourners at a funeral. Later, I arrived at the borrower's house. It was an old farmhouse on the side of the road outside of Luthersville. It reminded me of our old farm in Clarksville. White-washed wood siding, wood plank back porch. I joined the borrowers in their country kitchen, at the old wooden table. Later, we said our goodbyes and I disappeared into the darkness. I drove through the darkness, ill-lit by driveway lights and the absence of a moon. I drove back into the comfort of streetlights in Griffin. As I drove past the track, I saw the unlit Christmas lighting. The magic is coming.

Election Day

It is raining this morning. The wind is blustery enough to make umbrellas foolish. The maples and oaks are showing their oranges and yellows. You can hear the cars splashing the rainwater collected on the street. I have my lamps lit in my office to battle the blues. Today is election day. The candidates who have not yet given up are still beating their chests and spewing their hyperbole to crowds gathered in states where rain is not the day's offering. They say that there will be more weather in the Mid Atlantic states. They opine that it may effect the voting patterns on this day. It is easy to feel like your vote means nothing in an electorate which is vast, diverse and so easily swept by the whims of advertising, jingles and marketing. I know a lot of people who are not registered to vote. Some have never been registered to vote. Some feel like its a worthless exercise. Others don't feel like there is anything worth voting for. Some are so pessimistic that they don't see the point. There are so many places on this earth where leadership is chosen for you. Monarchies, dictatorships, oligarchies, places caught in rebellion where voting is dangerous, even deadly. But voting and serving on juries is the primary way in which we can show each other that we have a choice in how our lives are run. My father once told me he wanted the ability to choose a candidate, rather than voting for the lesser of two evils. I would argue that voting for the lesser of two evils is better than no choice at all. Otherwise, we have no one to blame than ourselves when things go wrong. We are two hundred and thirty some odd years divorced from when our choices were made for us by royalty or the peerage. For some of us, that span of time is even shorter, women, minorities, recent citizens. I, perhaps, can understand the forgetfulness of a white male who has never known anything other than the free will afforded our system of government. For those for whom elections are brand new exercises of our rights, it is less understandable. There have been so many battles. In the first national elections the right to participate was limited to people like me: white, male property owners. Two hundred years later, the valuable asset is spread to a wider group. We should be proud to vote today. So many people before us have argued, contended, marched and died for that simple privilege.

First Monday in November, 2012

It is a grey day outside my window. Inside too. The most excitement occurred when a semi drove down College Street, which is a lot of vehicle for such a narrow street. I am supposed to have two closings this evening, but we don't have documents for either loan closing. As the day drags toward darkness, the possibility of closing becomes slimmer and slimmer. On the other hand, you can expect a call to let you know that the documents have arrived and can I drive two hours up into North Georgia for a closing at 9:30? Can I? Will I? Do I want too? I think I know the answer to that last question. This week appears to be a week, where, if I get my sleep, I might be able to catch up on some work needed. I am so tired. This past weekend, we drove up to Dunwoody and I escorted Momma and Cindy to the Marist Christmas arts and crafts show. Later, after the end of the Georgia Old Miss game, we drove up to Roswell and ate supper at Inc., a Mexican taco truck restaurant. It was fun to be out among them. On Sunday, Cindy cooked supper and I drove around assembling ingredients and we celebrated Momma's 80th birthday a day early. It was fun to get together with everybody. The Falcons are 8-0 and Georgia is one victory over Auburn away from playing in the SEC championship again against Alabama. Washington and Lee clinched the ODAC football championship. That means another trip to the NCAA's for my alma mater. Tomorrow is Election Day. Wednesday is Agony Day for a little less than half the population. Its so big we even have a line in the bookmaking shops in England. Everybody has an opinion. Few have a vote.