My good deed for the year

So yesterday was "Super Tuesday" as you probably know. Although I've never voted in a primary election before, I decided to go ahead and give it a shot, even though it was freaking miserable rainy outside.

I got off work at 4 and headed over to my parent's house to pick up AJ (my 15 yr. old brother) for the Blues game. I moseyed around there for a while chit chatting with my mom and sister, before heading to the polling place (a church near my apartment).

I got there around 6pm and started to make my way out of the car into the church but first I had to grab the ID card they send you in the mail. I reached into my center console to grab it (which was where I left it in the morning) but came up empty handed: no ID card here.


Ok, no big deal, I'll just go in and my name will be on the list and I'll vote, right?

Wrong.

I go in and tell them who I am, they ask for my license but my address on there is still my parents address so that doesn't fly. They needed something with my name and current address on it. The guy asks me if I have the card they sent me in the mail and I told him I did not. (Even though I am sure I put it in the car before work in the morning. I still have no idea where it disappeared to. Don't you hate when this happens? Losing things is a frantic, frustrating endeavor.)

Anyway, without proof of address I was turned away and had to retreat back to my apartment to find a bill or something that proves I live in their district. I got my car payment and went back up there hoping to get in and out now (this had now seemed to me almost more trouble than it was worth). But, as I'm walking back in to the place I hear a faint voice from behind me say, "Can you help me?"

I turn around to see an old woman easily in her 80's, maybe 90's. She's walking slowly making her way from the parking lot towards the entrance. I'll remind you it is pouring down rain at the time and on top of that there is no ramp to the door, only steps. I retreat back to her and tell her I'd be happy to help. She takes my arm and I start to walk her up the steps when I hear another voice from behind me.

I turn again to see another older woman, not nearly as old as the first though, this time in her SUV. She says that she needed some help getting inside too. So once I walk the first lady in I had to come back out for a second woman. This woman needed a walker to get around and the lack of a ramp really made it a struggle for her to get in. All in all, helping these two ladies walk 30 feet took me a good 10 minutes. I can't say I've ever helped one little old lady get where she was going but here I am helping two back to back on a cold wet night when all I was trying to do is get in and out and to my hockey game. It was truly an extraordinary set of circumstances.

Finally I got both of them inside and was able to get going, but helping those two women really put some things in perspective. The ability to simply walk around is a task we all take for granted. Both of these woman could only move at a snails pace. Add the weather and steps to the equation and it would have been impossible for these women to vote without assistance. Just makes you appreciate being young and healthy and reminds you things won't always be as easy as they are now.

These woman both thanked me for helping them inside last night but today I thank them for giving me a renewed enthusiasm for life.