When I was ten years old, my mother got married to a guy who belonged to a sect I call the Church of the Final Thunder. Very rigid, very sexist, very authoritarian. Very much of a pain in my ass.
The worst part was that they don't think humans should really live in this world. Just kind of plod along. No birthdays, no holidays, no loyalty to nations; they studied the grammar in the Bible but never seemed to actually read it.
And they didn't vote. Voting is allying yourself with the world and against God. My mother never voted after 1967. But she tried.
Mommy was diagnosed with bad cancer in 2002, and by late 2004 she was dying. It was in her brain. She slept a lot, and didn't connect much with the world.
But she heard something on TV, or somewhere. Maybe from me. I was at work, and my dear uncle called me and said "I just got Fahrenheit 911 and your mom wants to see it. Can you come home?"
Could I. I sat on the floor doing needlepoint (I had already seen it) and watched Mommy. She was awake for 90% of it. And when it was over, she gave me the hairy eyeball and said "I want to vote."
It was 5:30 on a Thursday. I called the Board of Elections on Friday and spoke to a wonderful woman. She and another official would visit my mom on Monday, and not only register her, but take her vote. Mommy was happy to hear it.
But she went into a coma on Sunday, and I had to call the elections people to tell them it was too late. She died on Thursday.
So close.
So. If you are lazy, if you are disinclined, if you are discouraged, if you have terrific reasons not to vote, if your life is in evil chaos - please, put it aside. Vote once for my mom. She wanted to do it so much, and she couldn't. If you can, do it once for Mommy.