Eager Beaver First Time Voter

I finally had time to fill out my vote-by-mail ballot today. I sat on my usual couch spot at the local Starbucks and proudly exercised my right to vote for the very first time. I needed that cafe atmosphere to concentrate (a la college days). The apartment is just way too cluttered and therefore deemed unconducive for serious brain activity. Anyway, it felt absolutely satisfying to shade in that circle for Obama. I'll be mailing my ballot on Monday.

Since this is my first time voting, I so badly wanted to be more involved in the elections. Voting by mail does not exactly place me in the thick of things. I was planning to be a pollworker or a volunteer in my precinct. I wanted to at least be able to vote in person and experience the entire process firsthand. But turns out I have work on the 4th. I assumed that it was going to be a holiday so I didn't ask for a day off. Too late now 'cause the office schedules for the next two weeks have already been put up. Oh wells.

While I was meticulously filling in those little oblongs, I realized that I was a pretty uneducated voter. Tsk, shame. We had to vote either a yes or no on all these propositions which I really had no clue on. What I did was merely read the descriptions and based my decision on pure raw instinct. Haha nice. In my defense, I did spend time on Proposition 8. Choosing "Yes" would mean a ban on gay marriage and supposedly eliminates the basic rights of people. I'm entirely against any form of discrimination. A "No", on the other hand, effectively preserves the sacred nature of marriage which is procreation. This is one of the very few traditions I cannot easily surrender. As you can see, I am completely torn. I couldn't stop debating with myself about this issue ever since I saw the infomercials produced by both sides. I am the child of a staunchly Catholic upbringing, but then again I have somehow developed an independent liberal mindset which mostly subscribes to universal principles of fairness and equality.

I voted "Yes", not because I agree with the messages in their infomercials. I do not believe that teaching second graders that boys can marry boys is a bad thing at all. They are making it look like kids will be encouraged to get involved in homosexual relationships. That is not what 'educating' means. The message was clearly manipulated and twisted and obviously propagandistic. I voted "Yes", because there already exists laws which grant domestic partners all the rights that a state can grant to a married couple. The domestic partner law is already in place and this has been protecting the rights of same-sex couples all over California. So that solves my dilemma. Prop 8 is not an attack on gay couples and does not take away their basic rights. I can sleep easy tonight knowing I made at least one educated choice.

Oh and why did I vote for Obama?
I was sold on that "Yes We Can" video. I'm cheap with positive-energy-art-with-heart stuff like that. ;-p

Mobius

My beginning is in my end... my end is in my beginning.

I was reading this week's issue of The Asian Journal and came across an article insipired by the idea of a mobius strip. The author applied the concept to the currently sporadic U.S. economic situation. I won't be talking about that. The simple philosophy presented by the mobius strip is what got me. I didn't even finish reading that article. But sources of inspiration should not be left unacknowledged. First things first. Basically, a mobius strip is a length of paper, twisted in a loop with the ends taped together. This is what it looks like*:



* Image from Wikipedia.

It is deemed to be a "fascinating geometric oddity" precisely because it is 3-dimensional yet possesses only a single surface. You can prove this by drawing a straight line along the middle of the strip, work your way down and eventually, you'll end up where you started. Try it and see for yourself. It seriously blew me away. These little things amaze me. It's like that day when I found out that boiled eggs spin faster than raw ones. And that's how you tell one from the other without cracking them open. Yeah, I'm a trivia dork. Anyway...

I was able to derive a certain sense of comfort from this. Moving thousands of miles away from everything familiar to pursue the vaguest of dreams is slowly taking its toll on me. Starting from scratch is absolutely exhausting as it is exciting. I've had two jobs in a span of four months and I don't think I'm sticking with the one I have now either. My current job has already stopped challenging me and it's only been two months. I promised myself never to settle. Another thing stressing me out is the fact that I still need to build my credit history which apparently affects every aspect of life here. Everyone checks your credit, from your potential employer to your internet provider. The deal you will get is basically dictated by your credit score, which sucks for me since I don't have one yet. Aside from these, I have to cope with inconsiderate attitudes on a regular basis. I am seriously tempted to bitch out many, many times. But no, I'm way too nice.

Despite everything, I have miraculously remained optimistic. I don't know who or how or why.. but somehow, I have developed this deep sense of trust in the universe. I just know that I will be able to make it. As long as I do what I have to and keep the faith, I will get there.

Think of a car driving through the night. The headlights only go a hundred to two hundred feet forward, and you can make it all the way from California to New York driving through the dark, because all you have to see is the next two hundred feet. And that's how life tends to unfold before us. If we just trust that the next two hundred feet will unfold after that, and the next two hundred feet will unfold after that, you life will keep on unfolding. And it will eventually get you to the destination of whatever it is you truly want, because you want it.

- Jack Canfield (quoted from Rhonda Byrne's The Secret)

That is how I perceive the mobius strip. I may be traveling a twisted loop but I know that I won't fall off. It's a matter of finding your center. There is no such thing as being trapped in an ugly situation. Just keep on moving forward. "Just keep swimming..." (Dora!) The beauty of the continuity this represents has injected much needed confidence in my future and life in general. With so much negativity pushing against every individual psyche, we need to grab hold of every source of sunshine we can get. This has proved to be one of life's basic requirements, if one wishes to stay sane.

Other people would say that this is probably the worst time to be in the United States given the crisis, but I beg to differ. I'd say I'm lucky. If you start at the bottom, there's no other way to go but up. I'm excited to see what else this life has in store for me. I can't wait to vote for the next president, to successfully petition for my parents' citizenship, to buy that car next month, to earn my masters by the age of 26, to go backpacking in Europe, to earn my first million bucks... this checklist goes on forever...

Watch me tick off my boxes. :)