Just Plain Bill

What to expect as a poll worker?

I’m looking forward to working at the polls for the upcoming election. I’ve worked on elections in the past, both in Illinois and California, and have enjoyed the experience, even though the days were long and the work somewhat tedious. I’ve been impressed with how efficient and secure the process was, to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to cast his or her ballot in a way that supports trust and confidence.   

This year, we have a unique set of circumstances surrounding the presidential election that is taking place in an atmosphere of distrust, including questions about voter fraud. It is likely I will experience an increased number of observers, as well as an increase in attempts at electioneering in and about the polling place – prohibited activities that might possibly require intervention on my part. As examples, there can be no hats, shirts, or signs within the polling place that promote one candidate or issue to be voted on that day.  

Helping with the voting process is a civic duty, one that I hope everyone can have as an opportunity to play an important role in our democratic process. And equally important to our democratic process is the need to vote, so make sure you do it!

P.S. After the election is over I’ll share my experiences!

Just Plain Bill

Democracy is in the Air

There are certain times of the year when one can almost sense a change in the environment, when things tend to feel “different.”

I live in an area in the western side of our country, where the weather is temperate, with occasional days in the 90s and above in the summer, and definite coat weather with some rain (not enough) in the winter – all with humidity that feels just right. (It may seem insensitive to talk about weather at a time when the southeastern part of the country is experiencing a “storm of the century”, but perhaps this too falls into the category of “different.”)

For me, these are examples of those times, when the leaves are turning and there’s a chill in the air – and the days are getting shorter as we approach Halloween. For sports fans, football has returned, baseball is in its World Series phase, and hockey and basketball have started.

This is also the time when major elections are held, where we get to pick our leaders and policymakers for the next few years. The rhetoric is also so thick you can almost taste or touch it, as allegiances and choices can become tested and tense, leading to arguments and feelings being hurt.

In spite of the latter, I feel so fortunate I live in a country where this picking can be made without violence, without a loss of the freedoms our forefathers crafted when our country was under construction, although this election cycle has served to highlight some of the pronounced differences in class, in preferences, in lifestyles, and in predictions of terrible consequences if certain choices are made.

I’m old enough to have experienced some of our country’s bad times, such as the internment of the Japanese during World War II, and the anti-communist “witch hunts” in the 1950s. Our practices left scars on our pledge of freedom and liberty, but with the passage of time, we’ve found a way to heal.

I do have faith that whatever choices our electorate makes, that the Democracy that I feel “in the air’ will survive, and even flourish without the demonstrations of fury, violence and even death experienced in far too many places on Earth.

So, I need to remind myself to slow down a little, even stop while I smell this Democracy that’s in the air.

I firmly believe life will go on, and that other changes in the environment will occur, and that this too will be remembered as one of the “best of times.”

Just Plain Bill

“Congratulations,

10,000 Games Completed”

WOW! What a surprise! The last time I played solitaire on my cell phone, this congratulatory message came up on my screen. I wasn’t sure if I should feel pride, or shame. One thing for sure, a few minutes here and there can add up to a real investment (or waste) of time.

I’m reminded of the song Seasons of Love, from the award-winning rock musical, Rent,  and the lyrics 525,600 minutes, how do you measure a year in the life?

In measuring the past year of my life, I’d have to take into account the following:

·   10,000 games of solitaire, averaging 3+ minutes per game, equals 30,000 minutes,

 or 500 hours, adding up to12.5 work weeks, 

or nearly 25% of a work year

One could also calculate the “lost wages”, figuring a minimum of $20/hour, totaling around $10,000, gone with a tap on my cell phone keyboard.

(If only there was a money-making task I could perform on my phone that would earn me the same amount of money…)

One could also say there’s the mental exercise from which I am benefiting, such as pattern recognition, number sequencing, a feeling of challenge and success, slowing loss of thinking skills and cognitive decline, and most importantly enhancing memory, perhaps heading off, or at least delaying dementia.

In the article, The Benefits of Playing Solitaire, we learn the following: “…you can get the opportunity to have a soft mental activity that should keep you sane.” Good news, eh?

So, where do I go from here?

P.S. I also estimate I have a winning percentage of over 30%, which would be an excellent batting average in baseball.