Moving on....

I am happy that the election is over, not just because of all the campaigning on TV and radio, but the politicking that occurred in places that I didn't expect should now be done. This is a free country and a sign, bumper sticker or lapel pin showing who you support is fine. I have a broad sense of humor and enjoy political cartoons and jokes that are clever no matter who is being skewered. Very few people know with certainty how I cast my ballot, so this post isn't about feeling that "my" candidate was maligned anywhere.

I am not confrontational by nature and prefer to enjoy similarities among people, whether close personal friends, email buddies, or on the boards and blogs that I visit. I don't participate on political message boards or blogs by choice, nor do I belong to any groups that have access to my email address for political messages. Some of the boards and blogs that are usually about crafts, food, decorating or families got a little heavy handed as the election approached. Emails from people who have made assumptions about my political and religious beliefs went even further. A simple reminder that voting is important, or even a request to consider their candidate would have been fine. Messages of doom and gloom if the opposing party won aren't something I care to read anywhere at any time.

The last straw for me was opening an email from someone with whom we have a business relationship. I can't ignore this person's emails but apparently I have to ask him to exclude us from his mass emailings. His message was basically a reminder to get out and vote, unless you intended to vote for XXX. In that case, he said to stay home.

As I lift my coffee cup as if to toast everyone this morning, here is to everyone moving on, to being gentle and respectful of the feelings and beliefs of others, and to each of us doing one small thing every day to make the world a better place for everyone. Imagine the wondrous domino effect!