Oct 8

Oct 8 Episode #83: VOTE!

Welcome to another great episode with the Book Friends Forever! Grace and Alvina discuss their experiences voting, including the first time they voted in a presidential election, and how they're helping to get out the vote in 2020!

The book friends catch up on each other’s lives, talk about the voting season and as usual, express what they’re grateful for.

How have you’ve been!?

Alvina has been back in Brooklyn and was able to see Grace in Northampton on her way back to the city. It was the members of the Blue Rose Girls that met up in a park for brunch. Alvina had a beautiful drive and listen to a bunch of podcasts.

Grace has been busy painting but really enjoying the time she has to do that now. Her daughter’s school pod has been going really well. One of the activities they did as a pod over the weekend, was head to Mike’s Maze in Sunderland, Ma. The giant corn maze had a VOTE theme this year. There were trivia questions all along the way about the history of voting and how our government works.

Grace was surprised at how little the kids knew about the voting process and how it all works. It reminded her of the book, When You Grown Up to Vote, originally by Eleanor Roosevelt for kids. Grace did the illustrations for on a revised edition a few years ago.

Speaking of voting…

Grace has been thinking about how if she can’t even change her own father’s mind on who to vote for in this upcoming election, then how will she ever change anyone’s mind in her circle of social media friends? She is now inspired to seek out ways to help get people to the polls instead.

Make a voting plan.

Both Grace and Alvina requested absentee ballots, however, if they don’t arrive on time for whatever reason, they will head to the polls on election day. They both reflect on the very first time they ever voted! Grace choose her party in high school based on a boy she had a crush on! He was Republican (as were many in her class) and she really didn’t know enough about each party. There were a few years as young adult where she didn’t even vote because she didn’t think her vote mattered. Alvina did not vote in the Gore/Bush election in 2000 for the same reason but that was a turning point for her when she realized how important her vote was.

How we’re helping to get the vote out!

Grace turned to the Pen and Ink Brigade. This is a small group of women illustrators who use their art to create positive political change. Grace purchased a blue wave piece of art and now has matching postcards to send out to voters.

Voteforward.org is also doing a similar thing.

Alvina will be writing some postcards as well but also donating to certain organizations that help support Senate races that are swingable. She’s also donating to Defeat by Tweet and Swing Left. Grace is a little unsure about sending more money to political parties, but as Alvina points out, “But in a way you have to play the game. But the hope is that we can elect people who can change the game.”

The book friends want to thank Jenny, a listener who wrote in and shared an article that outlined the split between first generation and second generation Chinese Americans. It was regarding how to talk to different generations about the election this year and get them to understand a different point of view.

What are we grateful for?

Alvina is thankful for the opportunity to be able to live and work in another place like Vermont. She came back to Brooklyn though and realized that she loves the city still and this is ultimately where she wants to grow old. She’s also grateful for Chris Colfer’s new book, A Tale of Witchcraft.