Yesterday was NM's primary election, so after dinner, I rolled down the road to perform my civic duty and vote. Voting in this neck of the woods is very casual compared to my long ago experiences with voting in California. Our polling place is an ancient one room school house at the end of my road, staffed by neighbors I don't know because, well, I just don't. I got down there yesterday and realized I had forgotten my purse, but that's OK, all you have to do is go in and tell them your name and they hand you a ballot. No ID required...although I suppose the worse case is that someone else purporting to me votes and I don't get to. Tres casual, n'est pas?
And just because I thought it was sweet, I took a photo of the village church to share with you. It's just next door to the schoolhouse, built in 1823, it appears. Once in a while, on a quiet Sunday afternoon, you can hear the bells ringing up here at our house. I love when that happens, it makes me feel connected to another point in history.
4 comments:
Hi Martie,
I love knowing folks are still flowing into small buildings to cast votes. I didn't know the neighbors who staffed our grange hall where voting used to take place. However, there was a sense of communty about it and common ground to share with folks of differing opinions. A tangible element in the process of participating that I miss greatly since my county and others in WA have transitioned to mail in ballots. Thanks for posting the NM pics. I miss Taos visits and seeing that little church...and Taos Sunflower too. :)
Crossing my fingers that NM gets some significant rain and soon.
Chris
Dear Chris:
So good to hear from you. A tangible element...yes, that's it. Feeling a connected when so many days, watching, reading and hear the news, it all seems so distant and dare I say out of control.
As I left the little schoolhouse, I met a man from the other end of our village and we had a long, lively, conversation. A retired sheriff, he is of Spanish/Anglo descent also, but is a local who grew up here and knows the cultures. He talked a lot about wishing we could find a way, in our little community, to all get along...Spanish, Indians, Anglos and anyone else that should be on that list. If only everyone could get that message and take it to heart.
I hope this finds you well. Thanks for stopping by!
Just one more thing that I love about this place where we live. Only "aqui en taos".
Amen!
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