RGBP Friday Five: Civic Duties

Friday Five: Civic Duties

It's that season of the year when lawn signs are sprouting as surely as flowers in the spring; elections are just around the corner. And so today we bring you a Civic Duty Friday Five.

1) How old were you when you voted for the first time? I imagine I was 18, but I don't have a clear memory of the event.

2) What was the contest at the top of the ballot? I turned 18 in an off-year, 1987. The next year I voted absentee in the primary and general election for the President since I was out-of-state at college.

3) Can you walk to your polling place? I imagine I could, but there are no sidewalks for part of the way. It would be a bit of a hike, and the road w/o sidewalks is a 35 mph that everyone treats as if it were 45.

4) Have you ever run for public office? No, but my grandmother was on the school board while I was in junior high.

5) Have you run for office in a club or school or on a board? I've always been in on clubs when they just start out, so "running" for office is not really the right word. As an undergraduate, I was Vice President and then President of the Women's Soccer Club in its 3rd and 4th year of existence. As such, I was responsible for creating our schedule, securing transportation, finding a coach (who would volunteer; we had no money), recruiting players, fundraising, uniforms -- you get the picture. These were burdens of "club" status, no varsity standing with the university. As a grad student (the first time) I helped start a student chapter of Habitat for Humanity. I think I was their first secretary. Since then I've been laying low.

Tornado Tension

Last night we had some powerful storms blow through Our Fair City. The sky had that yellow-green color that is characteristic of tornadoes. We had rain, and strong winds, and then hail. Hail that we could hear pounding on the roof and windows. Looking at the satellite images on TV, we could see the pink area heading right over our house. Suddenly I was telling Gift Girl to get on her socks and shoes and doing the same for Bonus Boy so that we could head for the basement. I don't think I've ever done that before. I know my heart was pounding. The thing about tornadoes is that they can spring up suddenly. You know "conditions exist that are favorable for a tornado," but you don't know when or where or if it will actually form. Kind of tricky, and kind of makes you need to prepare even if you can't see it coming down the road.

Speaking of preparing, we have been thinking about, intending to, "prepare" for emergencies for a while now. Since Katrina definitely, and even before then, b/c we had lost power for 4 days over Christmas the first year we lived in this house. (We had to take Christmas on the road.) Crankable radio and lights, water, food, etc. I also thought about those who were facing Katrina last year (and other hurricanes). What does it feel like to see a huge storm bearing down on you? What do you take with you when you have to go, quickly? Gift Girl wanted her favorite doll after we had gone to the basement. I went to get it. With tornadoes, you never know. They come; they don't; and then they're over in a matter of minutes. It's so random. Just over thirty years ago, my mother went to work at the hospital in Xenia, Ohio just after the huge tornado passed through there. She saw the roofs flying in the air as she was driving, but then it was over.

I'm thankful it wasn't a tornado. I don't need that kind of adrenaline rush.

Big Time Biblical Scholar

Wow! Seeing the Big Time Biblical Scholar at my alma mater today was excellent. Inspiring, challenging, entertaining, even. Got to use parts of my brain that parenting doesn't always (usually) exercise. I also got to see old friends and catch up. Lots of fun.

Modern Dentistry

When asked what era of history he would most like to live in, my medieval history prof said, "Well, not before modern dentistry." Sometimes I'm not so sure. Two weeks ago I had the first step of a crown. To feel the shrapnel of my tooth raining all over my mouth was quite disconcerting. Well, I went back for the crown, and it wasn't quite right, so I have to wait another 10 days while they send it back to the lab. Just a huge inconvenience and minor physical pain.

On the good side, tomorrow I get to hear a major Bible scholar at the local seminary. That should be cool.