vote for you!

i love maya angelou...i think i would do anything she asked me to do...i would willingly be her minion...and i think she is the ONLY person of whom i could say that!  

i have a perception of her based only on words from the horse's mouth!  over my many years of listening to her speak and reading what she writes, she has proven to be a source of wise counsel...i admire her ability to laugh at herself...to be the one who challenges herself, she doesn't wait for someone else to point out the issues in her life that need tending to, she sees them and calls herself on her own %^&&$!*#...she walks straight into difficult times with her head high, chin up and shoulders back...she puts on her big girl panties regularly and DEALS WITH IT!  and she is grateful...she came from pain and she is grateful, she lived through years of disappointment and discouraging words from others and she is grateful, she was hurt over and over and over again and she is grateful...i believe she would not give back a second of her hurt, for she is in love with the person she is today because of it all!  she is an extraordinary human being and she never makes excuses...

below is a letter from her to me...yes, i know it's a form letter, i do not live in a delusional world where maya is in my intimate circle of friends!  but i believe her words...and i will be driving, maybe walking, to the local elementary school tomorrow to vote (before i head to the dentist to see why my gums are inflamed and making my face puffy!  my dentist said the words "that's not good" in a serious tone on the phone this morning)!  when i vote i will be making my personal choices regarding candidates and offices, but i will also be saying to myself and everyone around me, especially myself, "I AM HERE, I MATTER, I COUNT!" as my personal affirmation for the day!  it's also a great opportunity to smile at others, engage in real-life vs. computer communication and thank others for their willingness to volunteer their time!  and...of course...there's the ever-cool "I VOTED" sticker i can wear proudly until it gets washed off my shirt in the laundry (cuz it's a safe bet i won't remember to actually peel it off before throwing my clothes in the 'dirty pile!')

ok...enough about ME!  here's maya!

Dear Friends, 

I am not writing to you as a black voter, or a woman voter, or as a voter who is over 70 years old and six feet tall. I am writing to you as a representative of this great country -- as an American.

It is your job to vote. It is your responsibility, your right, and your privilege. You may be pretty or plain, heavy or thin, gay or straight, poor or rich.

But remember this: In an election, every voice is equally powerful -- don't underestimate your vote. Voting is the great equalizer.

As a country, we can scarcely perceive the magnitude of our progress.

My grandmother and my uncle experienced circumstances that would break your heart. When they went to vote, they were asked impossible questions like, "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?" When they couldn't answer, they couldn't vote.

I once debated with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. about whether an African American would ever be elected president. He believed it would happen within the next 40 years at the time -- I believed it would never happen within my lifetime.

Yet as Rev. King wrote, "All progress is precarious."

So don't sit on the sidelines. Don't hesitate. Don't have any regrets. Vote.

Go, rise up, and let your friends and family know where they can vote. We must make our voices heard:

Your vote is not only important. It's imperative.

Thank you,

Dr. Maya Angelou