70 Miles to the North

Right now, Michelle Obama is leaving the stage. The Democratic National Convention is taking place in Denver, Colorado, at the Pepsi Center, about 70 miles to the north of me. And I really want to be there. Really. But I can't. I wasn't chosen as a delegate at the Colorado State Convention. There was some form I was supposed to fill out, and I didn't. So I don't get to go.

But I thought about it. Right now, I'm also in one of the most difficult quarters in school. I have an Intermediate Accounting class that professional accountants would have trouble with. I have a Tax Accounting class focusing on tax law. Read tax law. Do not apply logic. It will not make sense if you apply logic. I also have a Managerial Economics class, a half quarter class completely online. I'm learning that I need the classroom to succeed, but I'll do what I can.

I'm very behind in all these classes. Had I been selected as a delegate to the DNC, I'd have gotten even further behind. Yes, I want to be at the DNC. But more importantly, I want to get into something that's not blue collar, something that allows me to use the brain God gave me, the brain that is both blessing and curse. I want out of this cycle of underemployment.

Listening to Michelle Obama's speech, that's when I realized that it was a good thing I wasn't a delegate. It's my future at stake, both here and there. But here, I can do a lot more about it.

Yes, I want to be up in Denver at the DNC. But I want to have a future I can control. I'll be at the polls in November. Too many people have fought and died for my right to vote, as a woman, as a minority, as an American, for me to spit in their faces. I would hope that everyone else realizes the sacrifices made for our freedoms. I'd like you to vote for my candidate. But more than that, I'd like you to be informed. If you want to vote for McCain, it's your right. We are allowed to disagree.

How cool is this country?