It's like Ilinois, but with a ton of cows.

      Second day of training, down. Feeling better about today. Did phone calls, got some volunteers signed up. Then drove down to Eau Claire. The area here is beautiful. Hilly, rocky, dynamic. Full of cows. Lord the cows. Probably wouldn't be so noticeable if my air worked and I could close my windows. But it wouldn't be me if I didn't have something be hilariously awkward.
     Today my question has been "who am I to tell people in Wisconsin who to vote for?" I mean, seriously. Small town chick from the middle of Illinois telling adults they should vote for Obama? Here's my answer, I'm from a state that, frankly, doesn't matter. It will go blue. And that's awesome. But my talents would be wasted in that area. I love stories. I love hearing them, finding the details that matter, and creating a fabric to weave the individual threads through. I love finding what makes people tic and pointing it out. That's why I need to be here. The stories are here. The desire for real change is here. It's my honor to point that out, and help create something cohesive and powerful.
     Thinking about my story it strikes me how very blessed I've been.. My parents weren't wealthy. I never went hungry, but when it came time for school, I was on my own. I fought my way through. I have debt, but I own that debt and I'm paying it off. I've been working in the "real world" for a year. Robbing Peter to pay Paul. And that by itself doesn't make me special. Which is sad. Frankly, that's abhorrent.
  But I've never given up. I have something to do, and it gets done. I walk into a store without dough, flooded with sewage, missing tools, and I make people pizza. (or at least I used to.) And I'm not alone in that. There are millions of people across this country that can make it work every day. But making it work is not, and should never be enough. As a people we deserve more.We're on the right path with our country. Over twenty months of straight job growth, healthcare signed into law, equal pay guaranteed. But we aren't there yet. And the alternative won't get us there.
   In 2004 the vote for Wisconsin came down to about 2 votes per ward. Two. That's one couple deciding to go to the poles. But without the great people of this community deciding they want a voice in their society, things change. 
    Don't get me wrong, I belive in change. I believe in being adaptable and rolling with the punches. But this kind of change, the kind that would take us off the path of equality and empathy for our fellow Americans is a kind of change I can't get behind. I don't have kids. Any of you who know me well know I'm far too selfish to be able to be a mom now. But my brother does. He has four. And they are honestly the coolest kids I know. And I can't let them grow up in that kind of world. So, in a lot of ways I'm doing this for them.

 Leaving I didn't get very emotional. I said good-bye to my parents and siblings with relative ease. They'll be there when I get back. But saying good bye to those four little ones (and my cat...let's be real) nearly broke my heart. Yes, they'll be there when I get back. But not in the same way. And if I don't come back, if I'm fortunate enough to continue my career, then I'm missing out on more than I was to begin with. But they deserve a country in which they can get healthcare, a good education, a nice job that lets them buy a house, save a little, and retire. They deserve a story that has a happy ending, a story in which their work pays off. And I'm going to fight to make sure they get it.

   I arrived in Eau Claire tonight, after my two days training in Madison. I took a wrong turn and ended up walking a few blocks to my office. On the day I found the theater on the right. I know it's not as good as the Normal Theater (sorry Eau Claire, I still love you.) But it was wonderful to feel a small sense of home, even if it was just a theatre. The vibe in downtown was awesome as well. I think I'm going to thrive here.
   Every day we make choices that determine how our lives pan out. Every day we make choices that determine the lives of those we care about. For a long time my choices were defined by fear. but That has to be over now. From tomorrow morning on, no fear. Ever. Because it's not just about my future anymore.