Yep, believe it or not, there are stuff I actually like about elections!
Normally, and as the majority of us, I'd be thinking the same way Danderma thinks about elections (check her post here). I'd just be loathing the day, dreading all those "unpleasant" stuff that usually (if not always) come with election time; those nagging supporters with those false smiles desperately begging for our votes, those cops bossing you around...etc.
Just this morning I was thinking of writing a similar post to Danderma's, but after checking her post, I got inspired to write just the opposite! :)
Yes, this year I'm choosing to keep it positive! :)
Aren't we all just sick of constantly bashing and lamenting almost everything around us? Tara mallait! wallah la3at chbdy! I'm an optimist at heart, and I truly have been affected by all the negativity we seem to be feeding ourselves with consistently without us even noticing sometimes.
But it doesn't have to be that way!
With darkness comes light! :D
So, maintaining this in mind, here are some of the stuff I like about elections:
1. The most important thing I like about elections is that I get reminded that I have a voice that counts. I CAN make a difference if I choose to. The right to vote is not available to all, you know, so I should be thankful I got a chance to make a change.
2. Since casting ballots takes place at schools, I get a chance to visit my old time school buildings and start roaming the place reminiscing over happier more innocent days of my life. It's ALWAYS fun!
3. And since lots of people come to vote from my own area, I get a chance to meet up with long lost friends or neighbors I never see anymore, and that's fun too! Especially, if I plan ahead and decide to go vote with our own old time friends! We can have a blast! Waiting in long queues will pass by in a minute if you're enjoying an engaging "election-free" chitchat with a dear old soul you miss so dearly!
4. There are always cute and fun moments to happen anytime, we just have to be alert to actually see and enjoy them! Like today, I was walking around after I was done voting, roaming the old middle school building which seems so foreign now, trying to figure out which was what, when my legs took me to the garden in the middle of the building. The garden that my friends and I had so many fun breakfast memories at! I watched as two adorable sparrows (zarazeer) and a couple of brown-feathered doves tapped their way at some flowers! I thought that was so cute and utterly hilarious as one of the sparrows kept fighting off the others trying to keep the flowers all to himself! I had a blast! God bless 'em!
Here are couple of pics I took of the adorable encounter!
Never mind the horrible quality; those are mobile pics!
I tried to take some video but sadly they flew away before I get a chance to.
Oh, and another God-bless'em moment! When it was my turn to go inside the voting room earlier, I was received with a mixture of contrasting attitudes that got me perplexed for a moment. I had no idea which direction to head to first; I thought I should go one way when I was supposed to be heading to another. When I finally realized which way to go, I was kindly welcomed by the most adoring man I met today! I have no idea what his real position is (whether he was a judge or a counselor), but he just kept smiling in the most adoringly and fatherly way ever, and made me feel totally at home! Not that I was feeling embarrassed or anything, but the women besides him was the total opposite! She was kinda like "scolding" me for something I never did! Shtabeen!! So!! I couldn't find my way for nanoseconds! That could not possibly ruin your precious day! No body's born all-knowing! Wallah!
So, you see? Who says things can't be bright during election time? The likes of such kind souls such as this man's will always warm my heart and make me cross off any bad encounters that happen to be in the way!
5. The soft kind of Kuwaiti souls: Yes, there are fake untrue gestures and actions here and there (naturally), but there are those souls who truly care for the welfare of the voters, especially the elderly ones. It warms my heart when I see a cop gently attending to an elderly person and kindly helping them on their journey to vote. It delights my heart to see paramedics doing their jobs with the soul purpose of ensuring everyone's healthy and safe on the scene. Those people rarely get acknowledge by many of us; I sincerely have no idea why. I WISH I could give at least a quarter of what they give to the benefit and welfare to complete strangers; the strangers they consider family.
6. When I'm heading towards the gate of the school, I have to cautiously walk the furthest away from any clusters of desperate panting girls trying to throw me their candidates' brochures or pictures (seriously, why would I wanna be carrying those inside? I already know whom I'm voting to! Plus, they won't allow them in anyways! But there are some cute innocent faces that try to give me their uncle's pic, or their aunt's neighbor's son-in-law or whatever's something! I cannot help but give them a wide smile and gently reject their offer. Honestly, I don't think the hassle and the mess of the elections should be forced on children at such a young age, but that's beside the point...
7. Okay, this is new! This year some restaurants have been encouraging people to vote by having special offers! Like what Elevation Burger is having today! They are offering a FREE MEAL to those who voted! Also, The Chocolate Bar is offering a free hot chocolate. What's not to love about a free offer, eh? ;P
Here's a shot of my tasty free meal! Thanks Elevation Burger! :D
8. I have no idea about you but I don't usually get out of the house much. I'm what you'd call a homebody "baytootiya", so I like to explore some new places every now and then, and have new experiences. So, a special event such as elections (which is something that doesn't occur on a daily basis) is worth the visit. I love to take my camera and just shoot some thrilling moments as they happen while I fight my way through the real licensed photographers; it always makes me feel ALIVE!
9. The general over all feeling of patriotism. I don't really consider myself a patriotic person, but I'm Kuwaiti; I cannot help but be in love with my beloved motherland. So, listening to the radio or flipping through TV channels (even browsing youtube) and catching those happy old time patriotic songs will always lift up my spirits and instantly make me happy!
10. Last but not least; The over all feeling of competition! Again, I don't really consider myself a competitive person, but sometimes I catch the bug and I find myself tuning in eagerly awaiting the results. Sometimes, I even might cheer up for the winning team (more like the ones I want to win, I mean!). It's not always "cheerful" as we know! But! I'm trying to keep it positive as I said! ;P
Hmmm... what else? I'm pretty sure there are much out there that I've missed. I shall try to add some if I recalled any.
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What about you? What stuff do you find yourself enjoying about elections? :)
what i like about elections is the idea of it..but not the people running for it.
ReplyDeletewhat i likee is how the whole country gets all excited.. there are banners every where.. everyone old and young starts to talk politics- even those who havent reached puberty yet are giving you lectures..and last but not least, to see the older folks in society play their part and vote.
my dad took my uncle to vote today, and my uncle who fell recently ill and was in a wheel chair, wouldnt miss election day for the world.
thats what I love about it.
btw, being baytootia in kuwait is better than roaming the malls and having breakfast/lunch/dinner outside the house. just make sure you get some sunlight ;)
yeah, the spirit of wanting to make a difference, the feeling of wanting to repay this land is what makes it all worthwhile :)
ReplyDeleteOh, I cannot stand roaming around from place to place on a daily basis just for the sake of going out like some people do; it would just drain me out. If I didn't have anything important to go out to, I'd rather sit home all day doing the things I love to do, like writing :)