Election Eve

Monday night . . . fourth day in a row at the zendo. Okay, nothing compared to the monastic experience, that is, living there for years on end, but more days in a row than I've put together recently.

My intention was to start a discussion group around the "Self, Not Others" theme that I had discussed during the weekend zazenkai - and that I'll be blogging about here - but despite my best efforts to the contrary, we wound up talking about tomorrow's election.

It's hard to maintain a spirit of equanimity when the two candidates could not be more different in terms of temperament and in vision. While I can maintain that both candidates are patriotic Americans doing what they truly believe is in the best interests of the country, that statement just doesn't express all of the other concerns that I feel about the outcome of this election. It's not the best of years for equanimity.

My strategy for voting tomorrow, when they're predicting four- to six-hour lines: I plan on getting up at 5:30 am and going straight to the polls without even showering or shaving, and getting in line at least an hour before they open. That way, I'm hoping for no more than a two- or three-hour experience, but I'll do whatever it takes to cast a ballot for Obama.

That being said, that's all I can afford to say tonight - I've got to get my sleep.