This story doesn’t have a whole lot to do with being bipolar, although as I look back I had to be manic when this happened. No way would I do this now.
I’m a Republican. I don’t care what you are and this is not the place to argue politics, but my affiliation is important to this post. The year was 2008 and I was out looking for trouble.
Now for some reason, I like John McCain. I really admire the guy. I know he’s not everyone’s cup of tea but anyone who can survive a prisoner of war camp in Vietnam deserves some respect, in my opinion. That’s not an easy gig. And I figure there are a lot of jobs in the government. So if a decorated veteran comes along and wants to serve, I’m all for it. I think they have sort of “earned” a spot.
So I found myself down at the John McCain headquarters in our town. As I recall he had won the Republican nomination and was running against Obama. I thought I’d get a few yard signs and put them out. Maybe even a bumper sticker or two. I live in a Republican state so no one would boo me.
I notice they have a sign up down at headquarters. “Come along with us to (insert neighboring state here). Ride the bus and help get out the vote!” Now this neighboring state was Democratic but that didn’t matter to me. I was ready to get on a bus and go anywhere.
My husband said it was fine. He is big on being involved in the political process. So I paid my $30 and got ready to go.
We were staying at a hotel for two nights and I paid extra to have my own room. I wasn’t big on sharing a room with a complete Republican stranger.
We drove ELEVEN hours on this bus. We stopped once to eat. I sat by a nice older woman. I noticed a couple behind us making out heavily. I figures they were boyfriend/girlfriend, even though they were not kids. The woman next to me informed me they had met the night before. I thought it was a bit weird to make out on a John McCain bus with a virtual stranger, but hey.
So we get to the town and are informed we are going door to door. ACK! At least they put us in pairs. I got a 6 foot 5 inch tall kid with me. I mean he was 21. So off we go armed with a ton of literature and a map of registered Republicans.
I was worried about going with this kid. He looked so young I was afraid I would have to do all of the talking. We got in a van and they drove awhile and dropped us off in a neighborhood. It was average. Not rich, but not poor. And it seemed safe enough. Plus I had my trusty kid by my side.
We knock on the first door and get a really weird guy. He looked drunk. But he patiently listened. And lo and behold, my partner was a walking encyclopedia! He knew everything about politics. He was so enthused I had a hard time not passing out. I had hit the jackpot.
We made our way around using the map and got lost several times. Most of the people were surprisingly nice. Of course, they were all registered Republicans. It amazed me though how little people knew about politics. Some people didn’t even know who was in the race. One woman asked us if we could get her more food stamps. I felt sorry for her…she had three little ones and a fourth one on her hip.
So we’re winding around cul-de-sacs and corners and finally land at a duplex. I said to my buddy “Hey look, there’s a cat taking a nap up there on the door mat.” He trudged on and ignored me. He headed right to the doorbell. I followed close behind and looked down. It was a dead cat. He stepped over it and I said “Wait! Do you think we should tell them about this cat? I feel weird ringing this doorbell.”
My buddy looked me in the eye and said, “You have to ignore that sort of thing. A vote is a vote.”
So I delicately stepped over the cat. A woman answered the door and we went into our spiel. And the dead cat just laid there. No one mentioned it.
We soon got back in the van and I decided on something. I think I had hit rock bottom. Who stands over a dead cat and campaigns for John McCain?
I don’t remember a lot about the campaign after that. I think I slept on the bus home. But I know that the Republican turn out was higher that election. I’d like to think I got out a few votes.
Sometimes I wonder what happened to that kid I was paired up with. If you ask me, he definitely had a future in politics.
So there you have it….the Republican Dead Cat.
Before I finish, I wanted to say “thanks” for the good turn out for guest blogging. Don’t forget, you are always welcome.
I am feeling a lot better. I went out 6 days out of 7 last week. That is a big improvement over laying on the couch all day. The Abilify makes me restless though. I am still am not sleeping well and I get nauseated in the morning after I take it. But it is making a big difference in getting me going so I am staying on it at this point.
Thank you for all of your support.
hugs,
lily
