Rant: Vote for me!

So it's been a while. And I want to apologize for that up front. Lots has happened since we last talked...I got engaged, I moved to Chicago (with the same wonderful company) and life is busier than ever. But, I've made it a priority to start writing again, and there's a long list of items I'd like to cover.

To start, I'd like to get a rant off my chest from this morning.

So, I moved.

I live outside the city in the West Suburbs and take the Metra train in every day. What might surprise you, is that I actually really like this commute. I can catch up on things like my Google Reader, a prep my mind on the way into the office. On the way home, it gives me a bit of solo time with my iPod to wind down.

But none of this is the point.

This morning, as I'm waiting inside the train station for my express train (as it was only 39 degrees at 6:30am...brr) I was approached by two men who are running for some sort of political office. The first man interrupted my music listening, but was polite and brief. The second was an entirely different story. As I was in the middle of replying to an email, he stood over me and cleared his throat...loud enough to disrupt my jamming to 311. I took out one ear bud and pretended to listen to his drivel.

He paused as he went to hand me his little pamphlet and asked "are those yours?" pointing to the two business cards I had set beside my coffee on the bench next to me.

I nodded.

"Well then maybe I should just keep this. We don't want to litter the train station," as he proceeded to pull his stack of pamphlets close to his chest, as if I would try to thieve them so I could litter all over town.

Excuse me?

Since when is setting something down, temporarily, within arms length, next to the coffee I am currently drinking, considered littering? Is this your way of telling me that you've got some kind of green initiative too?

He was rude and condescending. I stopped what I was doing to be polite to him, and all he could do was talk to me as if I was a child. Granted, I don't look like a successful, career focused mid-20something, but that doesn't make his approach with me any more acceptable.

I stuck out my hand, grabbed his stupid pamphlet (knowing full well I would be blogging about this) and stuck my ear bud back in without another word.

Oh but the things I wanted to say. Lucky for Mr. Jim Speta my coffee hadn't kicked in yet.

There's a good chance I'm not voting anyhow, but if I were, this would completely deter me from voting for Jim Speta for Illinois State Representative District 47, even if the other candidates were terrible.

Maybe I'm being a bit harsh, but really, if you're going to approach me at 6:30am to interrupt my routine to tell me about why I should vote for you, don't you think you should at the very least have a little respect for me? I certainly do.

Note to those campaigning, we don't have to take your crap, but most of us will even though most of us won't read it. I didn't litter, nor did I throw your literature in the trash. In fact, what I will be doing momentarily is recycling it. Thanks for helping me support my green initiative, Jim Speta.

Jerk.

End rant.

I promise, my next update will be much more upbeat as I've had some great experiences I'd like to pass along to y'all. Until then...

Cheers!

-A