Behind the Curtain: Who I Vote For is None of Your Damn Business
Keeping things private in volatile times
I was born in 1968. My first recollection of politics was something called “Watergate”.
As a 5 year old, all I could envision was a fence that kept water out of the garden.
That wasn’t what it meant.
Growing up in the 1970s most of us were taught to keep secrets. You don’t ask about money, you don’t talk about the family, especially the crazy ones, you don’t ask a lady how old she is, and you don’t talk about who you’re voting for.
Even as a child, I didn’t know who my parents voted for. I asked and was told “That’s private”.
The first time I went to a polling station with a parent I remember the intrigue of the big blue curtain. What went on behind there? Who was in there? What did the “levers” look like? My overactive ADHD imagination saw nothing but the great and powerful Oz.
The first time I voted was in the 1988 election. Bush Vs. Dukakis. I didn’t pay attention to the news as I was entering my prime party years, so truth be told, I have no recollection of who I voted for. In 1992, I was a bit more versed in learning the differences in the candidates. I would casually talk with my friends about politics without…
