Thanks to Nancy, NP

Thanks to my pal Nancy, NP for telling her story about cross party registration. It brought back memories of my year in third grade when JFK and Nixon were vying for the presidency in 1960.

I came home from school one day, most likely in September or October having enjoyed a copy of "My Weekly Reader" in class--remember those? Being in a newspaper family, things like that made a real impression on me--a paper of my own to read! This particular issue had a picture of John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon on it, shaking hands (likely this one).

I proudly showed the paper to my Daddy and pointed to JFK and proclaimed, "This is favorite!", whereupon, my father patiently but firmly explained to me that no, Mr. Nixon was our family's candidate. Oh well, perhaps another time......

My father's words made a big impression on me at the time and when I was able to vote in a national election, of course I voted for our man Dick Nixon. (Maybe they shouldn't have let us under 21's vote after all...)

After that election, embarassed and living out of California and away from prying eyes of neighbors at the polls who might report me to the old man, I changed my registration to Democrat in an overt act of defiance to the parents. Several years later, I voted independent for Anderson too.

Life goes on, I moved back to California and registered Republican. Eventually, I was working in the insurance business for a die-hard Republican (aren't they all??) and just kind of hung in with them, though my heart wasn't in it particularly. I remember my boss saying that the day Clinton was elected for his first term that it was the worst day of his life. (Being only 30 at the time, he had no idea how it can get as life rolls on. )

Enter my hubby. Blue to the bone. Like my pal Nancy, I came out. We were having a weekend trip to San Luis Obispo and walked past Democratic HQ and we stopped in so I could re-register, and who should be there but a Pediatrician who had fled Visalia and was now living in SLO. So, I registered and there has been no looking back. My pal Chris, who has known me since I was 13 said, "Its about damn time--you always were a Democrat, you just didn't know it!" She was so right and I have never looked back.

When I say "I'm forever blue, I mean it!"