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Your Host Seized by Election Fever

November 4th, 2008

I have to admit to a new illness – not a chronic one this time, but acute.  I have election fever.  I fear I
will be good for nothing until the election results are in tonight, and that will be late.  Tomorrow I will be exhausted and probably have a Migraine from lack of sleep.  I could hardly sleep last night, and my dreams were full of voting booths and speeches, polls and impassioned arguments.  Yesterday I had a teary conversation with my parents about how they raised me, about the values of inclusiveness and democracy, remembering the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy in my childhood, my parents’ deep despair at those events and how they explained the world to me around them, and how this election feels like a fulfillment of what my parents have stood for their entire lives.  Who else out there is as worked up as I am right now?

I already anticipated that I would not sleep much tonight; I didn’t expect that I would have such trouble sleeping last night.  I didn’t expect that my irritable bowel syndrome would flare up, as it did overnight and is today.  It’s a good thing I live in a very small town because  a long line at the polls would not work for me today!  I plan to spend a few hours volunteering today, helping others get to the polls, providing rides if needed, as long as my body allows me.

As a coach, as a chronic illness coach I should probably be advising you, and myself, to relax, to get rest today, to go to sleep tonight and find out the election results in the morning.  I don’t think I would be capable of taking that advice.  We are human, and we must concede our humanity.  My Migraine Connection posted their poll of the week today – “Do You plan to vote regardless of a Migraine?“.  Of around 120 responses so far, 94% said yes, they plan to vote regardless of a Migraine.  That’s how important this election is to us.  The outcome here matters to all of us, wherever we stand politically and even wherever you live in the world.  I know many people who have devoted many hours to volunteering this election cycle; my illnesses make me unable to do as much.  I may feel very sick tomorrow, but I will know I have done what I can.

Be good to yourself today.  Vote if you can and you haven’t already.  Help someone else if you can.  Let me know how you’re doing!  I’ll be back posting again when my fever has passed!

– Megan Oltman

Tags: election, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine, volunteering, vote
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