Memory, Volleyball, and the Election

My rememberer is broken. I get this trait from my father. I can look at a person that I have known for years, and their name will escape my mind. My wife is constantly reminding me that my recollection of past events is slightly skewed from reality. This lack of recollection ability, as well as other character flaws, makes my church calling very difficult and makes social situations awkward at times. I have tried to keep a journal, to record everyday events, but it is too time consuming and I am unable to keep up with it. That’s where this whole blog thing comes in. I can share the mundane details of my boring life’s events and it get to work as an online journal as well.

Today I am working my regular job until noon, and then going to the McKay center to assist with the Utah high school volleyball championship. I enjoy volleyball, more since my daughter has started to play and I am emotionally involved in the outcome of the game. Megan went to UVU volleyball camp this summer and came out a much improved player. She has played Lehi city volleyball for the past 2 years and has come in on the second place team both years. The reason that the family travels to Lehi every Saturday in the fall is that there is no girl’s volleyball city league in Orem. This is the same reason that the family travels to Provo every Saturday morning in the fall, because Orem does not offer a flag football league to anyone younger than third grade level. Family city USA.

Barrack Obama took to the airwaves last night to explain his positions to the American people. Christy had been complaining earlier in the campaign season that she did not understand where the candidates stood on the issues. This was a great move on the part of the future commander-in-chief. It let him spend time explaining his positions without the interference of the other party’s condescending rhetoric after each stated position. Obama has been my candidate since the beginning of the election cycle. It is nice to see your horse in the lead at the end of the race. I believe that this election will not even be close. The American people will send a message to the party of Bush, Cheney, and Rove that this country wants to come together and work on the things that will unite us and advance the country as a whole, and not just one segment of society. Universal healthcare is good for the country. Energy independence is good for the country. Environmental awareness is good for the country.

I do not believe in trickle down economics. Give more money to the rich so that they can buy their boats, furs, cars, and that will somehow enrich our measly little unimportant lives as we serve them to try to obtain a taste of their table scraps. Give me a break. Only the rich benefit from that thinking. Compare the economy under Clinton to the economy under Bush. Look at the Bush tax cuts, as good at they have been for the economy, it may be time to try something else. Give a rich person a few dollars and he may spend it, or he may invest it, or he may send it to Harvard to add to their endowment fund. Let me save a few dollars on taxes, and I will spend that money. At Wal-Mart, at the grocery store, or at the sporting goods store. That spending creates jobs in my community. It helps the grocery stocker, the cashier, and the owner of the sporting goods store, not the investment banker, the Rolls Royce dealer, or the Harvard administrator.

I will be working for the Lieutenant Governor’s office this coming Tuesday as a poll worker. I think the greatest exercise of the freedoms that we enjoy as Americans is going to the polls and casting a ballot for the persons that we feel represent our interests. Many have sacrificed to give us that right, let’s honor that sacrifice by taking a few minutes to study the candidates, their stand on the issues, and casting a vote. I realize that I stand in the minority in this state, but I have cast my vote because it is my right to do so. I have a hope that an excellent showing by the minority party in this state, during this election, will let the politicians know that there are those who do not agree with them, and may have to keep at least one eye over their shoulder while passing legislation.

- Dan