Long lines link people together 

We poll workers know to always come prepared with a book, knitting or paper work to pass away the hours if few voters show up. It can be a miserable day if there is nothing to do.

I wondered, with the high turnout for early voting, just how miserable people might be waiting in line for hours. Would they think to bring something to do? I found out last Tuesday at the Singleton Road Activity Building in Norcross.

Entertainment was a high priority for Eric Williams who listened to Dave Chappell routines in his iPod, while Chris Beardslee, only a few feet away had his ears plugged into a CD of Hunt for Red October. 

Rahim Merchant, a health and physical education major at Georgia Perimeter College, juggled a technical magazine and a notebook. Mike Betz, an administrator at American Intercontinental University made conference calls while Karon McWinnie, an attorney, read over some cases.

Jeffrey Stables, a chemical engineering major at Georgia Tech was writing vision statements for Campus Crusade for Christ. With the temperature in 40’s I asked if his fingers didn’t get too cold.

“Well, yes, but that’s an occupational hazard,” he replied.

Lots of people brought books, but I saw very few reading them.

Barbara Davidson had The Heir by Barbara Taylor Bradford in her hand. She had only a few chapters left to read, but never even opened it because she became more interested in Felicia Williams who was standing behind her. “I wanted to finish it but we got too busy talking. I thought it was more fun to just relax and with two hours, I thought surely we’d get to know each other.”

Howard Hayes never opened his book, Die Broke, by Stephen Pollan. “If I have a choice between reading a book or meeting new people, then I’d rather do that,” he said. 

Darlene Tennyson never opened her hardbound copy of The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen. She was too involved in socializing. “I think we’re all of the attitude that it’s good so many people came out and that it’s going to take awhile. I’ve just been enjoying the festive atmosphere.”

But nothing topped the young man whose wife was already wearing an “I’m a Georgia Voter” sticker. Kristy Parent had indeed voted two weeks earlier, but her husband John had not. John explained, “The stars were aligned so that this was the first day in this calendar year that we both had the same day off, so this is how we decided to spend 40 percent of it.”

I might want to say misery loves company, but John and Kristy hardly looked miserable. And for that matter, hardly anyone else did, either. Maybe, despite the cold and any other complaints, they were of the same attitude as Tennyson that it was good so many people came out.

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