It's an amazing thing, voting. For me, entering the polling place and casting my vote is a profound emotional experience. Spiritual. Transcendent. A connection with 100+ million other people in my home country, all filing in and casting their votes. We are Choosing, for ourselves, who we want to govern. Not just President, but Senators, Representatives, Governors, judges, and countless other positions and issues.

It's a profound thing, this kind of bloodless coup. A system where every adult is allowed to have their say. Sure, there are flaws in the system, unfairnesses here and there, but overall, it's an amazing thing.

I think about this every time I vote. I think about the wars that have been fought to ensure that I have this right. I remember, "Freedom Isn't Free". I think about the long ago soldiers who sacrificed on battlefields, to secure and defend freedom for their families, their neighbors, and for future generations, of which I am a part. They didn't know me, but they envisioned a future where their children, their children's children, and on down the line could live in freedom, and have a say in how things were done. I'm a representative of the future they hoped for.

I looked around myself at the polling place today. I saw people who I didn't know, but who were nevertheless my neighbors. People young, old, dressed in anything from business suits to jeans and working clothes, but all with a common element -- We're citizens together, in our neighborhood, in our country, and we came together, peacefully, to make our choices known.

It's an amazing thing, voting. And I'm thankful for the right, and the privilege to do so. It's a responsibility I'm proud to fulfill, and I respect everyone around me who votes as well, regardless of whether or not we voted the same way. It's a process I'm incredibly proud of, and I thank everyone I know who voted (or who is going to vote), and participates. Good job! I'm proud to know you.

Elonka