The Vote

I went last Monday to do the early vote thing. My family is so comical, I can't help but laugh at this story. My mom and dad got my voting card at their address because I lived with them for a year. On Monday, we decided to do the early voting thing, because my work schedule is so weird, that there is a strong chance that something or another will come up the day of the vote, and I won't make it out.

My dad is a keener. He loves this country and is probably the proudest Canadian I know. He loves being Canadian. We have this long standing banter where I say that I'm more Canadian than he is because I was born here, and he says I'm less Canadian because he lives here by choice...He moved here by choice, and I was born here by no choice of my own. I'm Canadian by accident and he's Canadian on purpose. When I protest that, he shuts me up by reminding me that if nothing else, he's been here longer than I have. He is so funny.

All that aside, my dad is a staunch Liberal. He has voted Liberal all his life. On Monday evening, he reminded me to come out and vote. To save time, he took the voting cards to the voting place and waited there for me. When I got there, he handed me my card and said "Make sure you vote Liberal. It's the first box on the list". OK- Firstly, I'm old enough to know who to vote for, and secondly, I think I can find the Liberal box...Thanks. The embarrassing thing is that others overheard my dad telling his 33 year old daughter how to vote. Just for that I said "No dad, I'm voting conservative". Man- that was a mistake. He started protesting, despite the nearby people. "WHAT?! Conservative- you can't. They will SELL this country to BUSH". That was hilarious. People were chuckling. "Dad- nobody can really SELL the country". Nope, he protested. The conservatives might as well. We'll all be drafted for war in some country if they win.

After I voted I came out and my dad reminded me- "you ticked the first box, right?". I thought this was comical so I responded with a "OH NO! Daddy- I thought you said NDP". OK this freaked him out. "What?! That's a waste of a vote- they have no chance! You might as well have voted conservative!"

SO funny. Add an Indian tone and extra animation and you can just visualize it. Then my dad started on his whole "I love Pierre Trudeau" speech. OH GOD. Here we go again. Dad- the guy is dead, and so are his ideals. Move on.

Parents are hilarious. I do admire his enthusiasm and sense of responsibility. I don't admire the personal humiliation of feeling like I'm 12 years old :-) Hmmm- I wonder what he would have said if I had voted for the Green Party or something?