An Election of Hope and Opportunity

Early this morning, I exercised my privilege to vote. It is a right that I did not earn, as I was fortunate enough to have been born in the United States of America. Still, I am forever grateful that I was bestowed this right to exercise my opinion in a free society.

Every election, I step into the voting booth and hope that my vote will make a difference. I’ve lived all over this great country and have had the opportunity to cast my votes in places as metropolitan as Central New Jersey and in areas as remote as Wasilla, Alaska. I’ve watched as my votes represented more than one half of a percentage point in a local election to less than one hundred millionths of the electorate. Yet in each case, that vote held equal importance to me.

Every vote is an opportunity to be part of a great societal process. Whether my candidates of choice win or lose, I was able to bring my opinion and influence to the governance of my town, county, state and country. It is a great honor.

The tally of our votes will be counted and we will have some changes in leadership of our governmental entities. Some of my preferred candidates will win, some will lose. I will not mourn my losses, because no matter who gets elected, they are still required to govern all their constituents, not just those who voted for them.

So I plan to keep a dialogue with the leaders who have earned the privilege to serve in public office. The rights bestowed to me in this great society do not whither the day after the election. Whoever gets elected can expect to hear my opinions outside of the voting booth. Of course, most of those opinions will relate to entrepreneurship, innovation and small business development, as that is an area that holds great importance to me.

I will also say that I am one of the many who is glad the campaign is coming to a close. Now the rhetoric will end and the action will begin. We all know that not all of the seeds of promise planted during the campaign will bear fruit. Still, we can nurture the rooting of good ideas by sharing either our support or better perspectives.

The great warrior Sun Tzu once said, “Opportunities multiply as they are seized.” I will add that opportunities are easier seized if there is an army of support. At some point, necessity will bring those with differing opinions together towards a common cause. As we have found at numerous times during our history, our great nation has united in the face of national and international challenges. I expect no difference in the future, no matter who we elect.