Out West

Here in my south Eugene neighborhood, if one was to base election assumptions on yard signs alone, you might believe the race being waged today was between Obama and Nader. I pass one big McCain sign on my way to campus, but there's not much question who has won the hearts and minds of the Willamette Valley. We're especially pleased by our local collective memory that, on his campaign swing through town last May, Obama stopped at a campus hangout for ice cream. He likes mint chocolate chip, and tips well. We like knowing that.

I find myself feeling oddly jealous of those of you who get to actually go to a polling place today. Out here, the vote-by-mail system eliminates that special moment (and also the long lines). It's a decent trade-off, but I feel like I'm missing out on something. And I don't get one of those little "I Voted" stickers.

The closest I came to that moment you're all experiencing today was walking through the rain and soggy maple leaves yesterday to drop off my sealed envelope at the Lane County elections office. There was a steady stream of foot traffic going in and out of the building, and I noticed how we all smiled and made eye contact and held the door for each other in a way slightly more generous than we would on any other day, or for any other errand. I'm not sure what that says, exactly, about this community, or the weight of this election, or the occasional pleasures of the usually-aggravating democratic process. But today really does feel special. I like knowing that, too.