It’s Tuesday. I am thankful to Two Writing Teachers for the weekly opportunity to write a slice of life.
I have not been one to discuss whom I will vote for in public forums. I grew up in a home where politics weren’t really discussed at the dinner table. I know Mom loved Kennedy and both parents were not fans of Reagan, especially after he said, ” If you see one redwood, you seen them all.”
I am one to “like” or react to posts on Facebook but I have not posted about either candidate during this election season nor in 2008 or 2012.
That said, this election is historic as we may be electing our first female president. Women have only been voting for 96 years. Just wow. It’s made me think about my grandmother.
I looked up in her journal (a five year sentence a day journal) about the election in 1916. Here’s what I found:
Tuesday, November 7, 1916: Election Day. Feel much better today. Went up to Bogerts to sew…Retired 10 PM.
Wednesday, November 8, 1916: Couldn’t sleep much on account of the noise. Hasn’t been decided Wilson or Hughes as it is close.
I wish that I could talk to my grandmother about her thoughts about getting the right to vote. I wonder how she felt. I wonder what she would think about the possibility of our first female president.
This summer while watching the Democratic Convention, someone on Facebook commented that they didn’t see the big deal about having a woman president. And I thought about my grandmother. One hundred years ago, she was not allowed to vote!
As a little girl, becoming a president never was on my radar. Teaching, secretarial work, and nursing were my options for a career. Today, my grandgirls are growing up in a world where barriers are getting removed.
Tomorrow night I get to be with oldest grandgirl as we witness this incredible day ( and the end of a exhaustively long election process). We’ll watch as history is made.
The potential of a woman president is a big deal. And regardless of how you feel about the candidate, Election Day will be historic.
Jone Rush MacCulloch 
How wonderful to have that journal to read through on this historic day!
One of my grandmothers was active politically and thought it was her duty especially since women hadn’t had the vote early in her life. She was an election judge and fought for other groups’ rights too in her state. I love seeing your grandmothers’ journal, Jone. What a special thing. I’m with one of my granddaughters tonight too, and hope she’ll remember this day!
Hi, Jone,
Your perspective is so very thought provoking. You’re right that this is such an historic time and opportunity for the feminine. I really appreciated the reminder. Thank you so much for sharing!
Claire
I so agree with you!! And I am envious of you with your grandmother’s journal. How special. I wonder if these blog posts we are making now will be look back on a hundred years from now by a future grandchild?!!
Yup! One of my colleagues is taking the day off on Wednesday (your Tuesday night) to watch the election results come in live. I wish I was able to make more of a thing of it at school (an international school far away means the context is quite different).
agreed it sure will be