We stood in line ...

We stood in line.
The temperature was in the low 50s. It was cloudy, occasionally drizzling.
We stood in line.
Today is Election Day. I make it in capital letters because it is important.
This is the day that everyone - and anyone - over the age of 18 should step up and take part in democracy.
We stood in line.
We voted for a president. The ex officio "leader of the free world." We voted for our representatives to Congress; our voice in Washington.
There were local offices on the ballot; this is where democracy is in its purest form. We, in some cases, literally voted for our neighbor.
We stood in line.
No one complained about the wait. For some, minutes turned to hours. No one was forced to be there.
There were no free gifts or coffee or food waiting for them.
It wasn't a line for the latest electronic gizmo or to buy tickets to see the latest hit movie or entertainer.
It was to exercise perhaps the most important right we have as Americans - the right to vote.
We stood in line.
How important is this right? We change our government every two years, every four years, every six years without bloodshed.
No tanks in the street. No suicide bombers. No people being pulled from their homes in the dead of night.
This is what makes the United States different from other nations on this day.
And what did Americans do on this important day as the world watched?
We stood in line.
I hope you did, too.