The time has finally come. After seemingly endless months of vicious campaigning, debates reminiscent of Saturday Night Live sketches, pathos-saturated commercials, Facebook fights, days you swore you'd move to Canada if so-and-so got elected, and heated arguments with your "old-fashioned" Uncle Tim about what constitutes sexual assault, the day is upon us: Election Day.
It could be historic. Tremendous. Yuge. We could have our first female president, or maybe even our first orange president. We could be further united as a nation as we move through the 21st century toward equality and acceptance, or we could set the progress of our society back 50 years. The possibilities are endless! Sure, no matter what happens, half of Americans will probably find the results of the election to be deplorable--some may even claim the system is rigged. But most people will probably breathe a sigh of relief as some sort of peace is restored to the land. The campaign signs will come down from people's yards; neighbors can be friends again. Maybe you'll move to Canada, or maybe everyone who stands for everything you find despicable will move to Canada. It will be so peaceful.
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But I'm getting ahead of myself. We can't get to after the election until we enjoy the election in the present moment--and really, what a cool election. For many of us, this will be the first time we have ever been eligible to vote for the president. If you're nerdy like me, it's quite possible that you've been dreaming about this moment from the time you were in sixth grade and were drawing political cartoons in sidewalk chalk (no? That's just me?). I have thought about this momentous event--my first time voting--maybe as much as I have dreamed about my wedding day. And let me tell you: I have always envisioned getting to choose between the lesser of two evils rather than between two competent candidates. What a privilege! Our ancestors got to watch Abraham Lincoln, F.D.R., Ronald Reagan, and other legends come into office. We're the lucky ones, though. We get to choose between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. What a dream come freaking true.
There are, of course, a few positive things that have come from this election: For instance, it has been humorous (or as some may call it, yumorous). I would be quite surprised if there is anyone among you who did not get a chuckle out of the debates. They say that laughter is the best medicine, and seeing that fly land on Hillary's face--not to mention just seeing Donald's face in general--definitely cured my cold. These debates were pretty historical, too. They were the first debates in which Snapchat filters were applied to the candidates' faces. If you didn't think they looked cute as deer, you're lying. If you didn't think their face-swap was fantastic, you're also lying.
But the election is almost here, and before we know it--as I've said--some degree of peace will be restored. It will be so nice to not want to kill everyone we love for their political views, won't it? Oh--and we will finally get to welcome back all those people who swore off social media because they couldn't handle the heat of the "intensely personal" political arguments. Kumbaya.
Really, though, as these messy campaigns come to a close, let us take time to reflect on what really matters. We live in a great country. There will forever be room for improvement, of course, as there are always people who try to undermine our nation's greatness with various forms of oppression, but truly, we are blessed. It's not everywhere in the world that the citizens of a nation get to pick its leader. We have this power. We have the power--the right--to choose a leader that we see to be fit for the presidency. What an amazing thing. Even more importantly than that, though, we are all connected. People from all over the world have come here to form a melting pot of traditions and cultures, most with the intention of creating a wonderful life for their posterity. Let us rejoice in our differences and allow our diversity to unite us. Let us give love to one another, regardless of skin color, gender, nationality, or social status. In an election that has been quite divisive, let us remember that we are all Americans. We can choose our leader, and the government will do what it will, but we--319 million of us, united--are the ones who have the power to continue to make America great.
