I run a small expedited trucking company, quite small actually since I drive one of the two vehicles, and I've been stuck down here in Orlando for a week waiting on a repair. That means I've been hanging out at the Extended Stay. I thought it would be repaired yesterday so I had checked out and returned the rental car. Of course, it wasn't done and I was told it would be Monday afternoon, which meant I had to go get another rental car and go back and check into the Extended Stay for a couple more days.
SO...I went back to the motel yesterday, parked in the lot and walked back inside to check into another room. I did walk by some bushes on the way in but didn't notice anyone hiding behind any of them, but I wasn't exactly looking that closely, so someone could have been there. I walked up to the desk and the same young attractive black lady (Am I allowed to notice that without being racist?) was there that had been there when I checked out in the morning. We had exchanged small talk throughout the week and she asked me, "Back so soon? I thought you were leaving today." I then said, "Well, my van won't be ready until Monday, so I'm going to need a room for a couple more nights." She asked me if I was going to wait around until I got a load out of Florida and I told her that I needed to get home by Tuesday so I could vote. She asked me why I didn't vote absentee and I told her that my absentee ballot hadn't arrived in the mail even though I had mailed in the request. She said, "You must be dedicated to drive that far just to vote." I replied, "Yes, because this one is too important to sit out." She smiled and said, "I voted yesterday. I voted for Obama!" The utter excitement was so evident. Then she asked me, "Are you going to vote for him too?" I said, "No, I'm voting for McCain." You could have heard a pin drop.
I politely asked her why she voted for Obama and she said, "He inspires me...we need change...and he's...well...he would be the first." I could tell she wanted to say that she was excited to vote for a black candidate, but she didn't want to come out and say that to the white man on the other side of the counter. I think I shocked her when I said, "I think it would be exciting to have a black president, but I just don't think he's the right one at the moment. I just don't like his policies." She asked me what those policies were and I said, "I think his tax policy will hurt small businesses and could cause a loss in jobs, and I run a small business. Also, the last time a president raised taxes like that during a recession, we ended up with the Great Depression. I'm also pro life and he supports abortion on demand without restrictions." She just stood there silent for a couple minutes and then said, "I haven't heard all that. I thought he was pro life." I then pulled out my wallet and said, "By the way, my wife is also from Kenya and is actually from the same tribe as Obama's father." I then showed her a photo of my wife, who is very obviously not white, and I think that made me ok in her eyes. I couldn't be a racist if I was married to an African, I guess. Then I took my room key, she told me to have a nice stay, and I went to my room. On the way through the lobby this afternoon I noticed that she was behind the desk with another employee and I overheard her saying to him, "I wish I would have known that before I voted."
