Ever since I voted for the first time–60 some years ago–I’ve had a case of the jitters leading up to November 8. Some years, I’ve been ecstatic when my candidates of choice won. Other years, it felt like the bottom fell out of the world when they lost. And yet, life went on and the United States of America is still standing as a nation. Now, it seems obvious that what I really feared was change. Things are never quite as they were after election day. I can remember when Medicare was a hot issue. Being young at the time, it didn’t influence my vote one way or the other. But now, we’re enjoying the benefits of what was then considered a blow to American conservatives, who called it nothing but socialism. This week, we’re all feeling those pre-election jitters.

FEELING THOSE PRE ELECTION JITTERS. wE ALL AFRAID OF THE OUTCOME.

FEELING THOSE PRE ELECTION JITTERS. We’re all afraid of changes that may come next year.

The polls build up the tension, and the media is part of the problem. Conservative newspapers and television stations tout their favorite pollsters, who predict a Republican sweep. On the other hand, liberal media gives an entirely opposite report. This morning, as I scrolled through the news feed on my i-phone, , I saw wildly different headlines. “So and So predicts a Republican sweep.” “ Democrats surging in the polls.” Back and forth across all social media. Who to believe?

The US is more divided than ever. We know that the winners will leave 50% of the voters angry. There will be charges of voter fraud, re counts, court cases and delayed results. It may be months before we know who’s really running the country.

How to calm the pre election jitters? First, turn off the television during the daytime. Don’t discuss politics at work. Start an indoor garden by planting some amaryllis bulbs. Perform random acts of kindness. Do something nice for yourself. Listen to music. Take a walk in the park. Read a good book. Meditate.

What ever happens, have faith in your fellow Americans. We’re a nation of immigrants. Resilience is in our DNA, We wouldn’t be here if our ancestors hadn’t taken the risk to leave home. . And you know what? On November 9^th, we’ll still be our same old selves. We’ll have our family and friends and life will go on, just as it has for the past 247 years or so. .

A couple of months ago, it looked like the Republicans were going to take over the Senate and Congress like a tidal wave. That was before The Dobbs decision, overturning Roe vs. Wade. Now, scads of people have changed their minds , and the Democrats couldn’t be any happier. They’re pretty sure no body is going to vote for some prissy old Republican who says they can’t get an abortion. On the other hand, the Grand Old Party wants to believe that inflation will be blamed on the Democrats, and folks are going to vote their pocketbooks. Both pretty hot button issues. What do you think? Will sex or money decide the outcome of the November election.

Will sex or money decide election? It may depend on your age. — WILL SEX OR MONEY DECIDE ELECTION? Will voters vote their pocketbook or sex life?

Inflation is a no brainer. They say it’s only running at 8 % but all of us know that we’re spending almost twice as much money on everyday expenses as we did a few years ago. . Obviously, the Covid- stimulus money is part of the reason. Then, we have the war in Ukraine, and Lord knows what all. Student loan forgiveness. Labor shortages, Supply chain issues. Republicans are blaming it all on the tax and spend policies of the Democratic party and up until this month, they figured no body in their right mind would vote for a continuation of those policies. Everybody wants inflation to end, especially those who are living paycheck to paycheck. .

Nevertheless, most people of child bearing age would like to enjoy their sex life without having to worry about unwanted pregnancies. None of them can remember a time when abortion wasn’t an option, but I can. In fact, most single girls were virgins before the pill and Roe vs. Wade. because they had a mortal fear of getting pregnant. When an unmarried woman was pregnant, the father was expected to marry her. Whether he liked it or not. And if he didn’t, an illegitimate child would be a disgrace to the mother and her entire family. Some people did get abortions in places like New York City, but that was not an option for women in the rest of the country, unless they were very rich.

If you’ve reached the age where you read the daily obituaries, you see that most people over the age of 80 married at a young age….preferably, by the time they were 21 years old. Contraceptives were available, but they weren’t reliable. If you wanted to live together, you were supposed to get married.

So now, it looks like the younger people will have to make a decision. Shall they vote for a Republican, in the hopes that it will put an end to inflation? Or will they go with the pro-choice policies of the Democrats? I imagine it will depend on your age and how important a carefree sex life means to your overall happiness. What is more important? Love or money? We’ll find out in November.