Warning - this is a slightly political post...
When it comes to political affiliation, I am an independent. And when I say that I mean that I have voted for both a democrat and a republican for president since I started voting. And the other time I didn't vote because I didn't feel I could support either candidate. I don't like salesmen, which means that I don't like politicians either.
I don't like people acting like one idea/party/candidate/approach is always right. As a parent, or human being for that matter, I have seen over and over again that as soon as I say something is unequivocally this way or that - I find that I'm wrong. That doesn't include my feelings on God and truth but I don't think politics are about truth - rather the approach to truth. Anyhow, that being said, I have looked into the issues for the last little while - like most of you. And I've listened to the candidates which disappointingly hasn't helped. No one is saying anything really different from the other - I think you have to look at their voting records and what they have actually done - because everyone's trying to win the moderates so everyone is saying the same things. And then you have to search deep inside - because not one person is going to agree with you on every point. So there has to be some weighing of what is really important to me. Anyhow - this is not the point of my post. I just wanted to say, I think choosing who you want to vote for is a very complicated and thus VERY PERSONAL decision. And I think choosing either one can be right or wrong - it's all in why you are choosing them.
ANYHOW...
That being said, I have to admit that I am a little enthused by a new candidate. Sarah Palin.
Whether or not I agree with what she is saying, I am inspired by a woman who can be a completely normal mom. Daughter of two teachers, married to a union man, member of the school PTA - who decides she wants something changed about her community so she takes the initiative to run for the school board - and so on and so forth. Now, of course I could be wrong about her - people are always suprising you. But I am excited by the idea that a mom like me might have a few tricks up her sleeve yet. I am excited that if I put my mind to it - I might even be able to run for president someday. Doesn't that excite you too? Part of becoming an adult is realizing you probably aren't going to be famous - and being totally ok with that. But I wonder sometimes if when we give up that sophomoric notion, we might also give up believing that we can do something big - something meaningful - something that really changes a bad world into a good one. I want to believe that when I see suffering and injustice in the world that I personally can have a hand in correcting it. And Sarah Palin seems to be doing just that. A housewife from a tiny town, with five kids - still doing big, unexpected things. She isn't the daughter of a politician and she's not rich - she's just a completely normal person. And you really don't see that much - she didn't go to Yale or Harvard. She didn't marry into a famous family. It sounds like a lot of ladies I know. How thrilling is that? I like thinking that my life is not over - that I may do some things that even I can't fathom or imagine. And that's pretty exciting.
*Now, there are some other issues going on in her family as we all know - but I'm sure if we all volunteered our private family issues we might not be able to cast the first stone.
This morning the boys and I got up really early and headed south to Spanish Fork. Mike had gotten up earlier and was already there because he was running in a 5k. He likes to do little races like these because he says it keeps him motivated. It was fun but a little cold.
Cute little Peter trying to stay warm.
Before the race.
Mike running faaaaast. I added some of that motion blur just to make him look even cooler.
