Can You Hear Me Now?

My day-to-day activities don't usually involve anything of great significance.

It's true that writing holds a lot of meaning for me and, certainly, looking after my little girl is one of the most rewarding jobs I've ever had -- but by this point both of these have been fashioned into a daily routine which, if performed correctly, winds up being just that: routine.

My days, these days, are pretty predictable.

Today, however, stands out.

Today I did something truly important; something that matters; something that will have a lasting impact not simply on my own life and the life of the child whose care is my great responsibility, but on the very future of this country and the world in which I'll grow old and she'll grow up.

I voted.

I filled out a ballot, sealed it in an envelope and, with a sense of pride and purpose like almost nothing I've ever experienced, walked across the street and dropped it into a mailbox.

I had my say.

I took a tiny amount of control of this nation's destiny and in a voice even stronger than the one I'm using right now, I said that I will not cede the future to the forces of ignorance and arrogance; I will not surrender the country I love to the craven cynicism of those who would use fear as a weapon against anyone who longs for a better, more just world for our children.

I will put my vote where my mouth is and take a stand in the name of changing the direction that America has been barrelling along in like a runaway train for eight tumultuous years.

And you know something?

It felt good.

That ballot in my hand felt like nothing less than the Sword of Damocles itself, striking at those who've attained and held onto power within our government through divisiveness and the most reprehensible of underhanded machinations. That ballot felt like a ticket to the kind of history I always imagined was possible. That ballot felt like it was made of gold leaf and inscribed in blood.

That's because my hope rides with that ballot, and within it is my voice.

It's a voice that will not be silenced.

So, what did you do today?