Voting, A Political Process

My first significant recollection of the political process was in the 5th grade during the Bush v Gore elections. To make the elections more meaningful to us, our teacher decided to hold a mock voting session where we as students would cast ballots for the next President of the United States of America. Everyone was excited! Everyone that is except for me.

You see it is in the 5th grade where the beginnings of social leprosy occurs. Future nerds, burnouts, popular kids, jocks, and socially awkward band geeks all start their journey towards their future identities at roughly the same time. Even in my un-corrupted-by-social-stigma mind, I subconsciously knew dark times would be in store for if I voted for the enemy. Al Gore.

Never had a name been spat with such disgust than by my 5th grade peers. I had heard every last one of my classmates warn that whoever voted for Al Gore would be pushed off the top of the slide or worse.... It was a fate I did not wish upon my self and I had not developed the cunning brain that years in middle school would soon give me (basically I didn't fully appreciate the concept of lying). There was no way out of this predicament. I just KNEW that if I voted for Al Gore, all of my fellow 5th graders would know.

Fortunately for me, the week before class elections was to occur, I was diagnosed with Appendicitis. Due to my lengthy recovery time, I was unable to attend class and thus forfeited my "right" to vote. When I came back to school on Monday, I discovered the fate of  the four who had voted for ol' Al. They  were hunted down like the "Witches" in Salem and would have suffered severe consequences had we been more like the unfortunate cast in Lord of the Flies.

Lets fast forward to the present with my being able to vote for the 2nd time in my life. Much can be said about the flawed political process but one cant complain if they never even made the effort to go out and vote. I urge all to make your voice heard. Even if those around you see politics differently, when it comes down to it, there is no right or wrong answer. There is just what YOU think is best and who YOU think will best represent what YOU think is right.

The Time I Almost Drop Kicked Nelly Wachsmuth

We all have that friend (or in my case friends) who seems to think borrowing is a 100% acceptable way to live. Whether its your favorite pair of Hudsons or 6 eggs, something about borrowing seems OK. Now the thing is it is ok! Except when you do it constantly...

That was the case with my ol' friend Nelly Wachsmuth. It should probably be said right about now that Nelly is a sweet girl bless her heart. BUT that girl was like Hurricane Sandy when it came to destroying people's stuff. Clothes would literally come back with holes making you wonder if she spent her spare time in Miss Trunchbull's Chokey. If it wasn't your shirt it was your food. My friend Hannah once told me that Nelly had asked her if I'd noticed that she drank my diet pepsi juice. Whaa?? Last I checked, I never let anyone drink my favorite diet pepsi juice. Honestly I could go on and on (bathroom supplies, the car, spare change, Steve Madden boots, anything that hangs in a closet, etc) but I will stick to the clincher.. My general chem book.

Now I know what you're thinking, she ruins your 7 jeans and you freak out about a general chem book? People, its called the straw that broke the camels back! So the deal with the book. I'm a poor college student realizing the necessary investment of education in a career driven individual's life. This being said, I do what every student hates to do. I buckle down and buy the $200 book that you'll probably only read twice. The particular book in question we actually have to read for class and oh so conveniently for Nelly we are in the same class. At the beginning of the semester when she'd ask to borrow my book for the quizzes  I didn't think much of it. 

Then November rolls around and my sorry completely overwhelmed and ADD though not ADD brain realized, she's borrowed your book every week!!! To say I was annoyed is an understatement. I ain't no government hand out! Get yo cheap A**  a freaking general chem book and quit free loading off me. My alter ego Ysang Twan (I've always imaged that I was Asian in an alternate universe) was about to bust out in all kinds of crazy karate and drop kick her! But I didn't. The Hamilton in me prevented any kind of Chinese Boxer Rebellion from going down so that last night when she asked to borrow my general chem book I plastered the most winningest smile on my face and said, "yeah just a second, let me grab it for ya." 

So whats the moral of the story? There is none! Its called life and sometimes it just ain't fair.