Stop, I Want Off

I'm fast approaching the time in this 2016 election cycle that for the sake of my mental health I will need to emotionally check out. It's easy for me to become obsessive over politics. I love it, find it very exciting, and addictive.

I'm very close to the time I will shut down my information sources. I love the Internet and have information coming in from many sources. I never watch TV so that won't be a problem. I seldom read the newspaper but will cease to do so until after November. I began today closing out some of my sources and will continue until most are eliminated. I'll hang on to a few but a very few. I have no need to watch poll numbers.

I know how I'm going to vote. Why put myself through the anxiety of such a crazy election? I have no need to watch hair pulling and mud slinging. I gave that up in grade school. Living through an election cycle is like living through a sand storm in Texas. No matter how tight you seal things up the sand still manages to get inside. There's no way I can completely remove political news from my life but I can certainly make it more manageable and less stressful.

Of course this all changes if a good scandal unfolds. I always do my part in supporting scandals so I'll be front and center if such a thing should occur.

Today I will mail in my vote for the Oregon primary. After that I can't think of a single thing I can do that would change this election. Come November I'll be one of the first to mail in my ballot.

I do not take lightly the privilege of voting and I hope every American will vote. After the election I will ask "Did you vote?" of any person who tries to discuss politics with me. If they did not vote I have nothing to say.  Only those who voted get the privilege of complaining.