election 2008

Phto by MommyChristina1

Someone recently mentioned to me that a friend of hers was due on election day and the friend was a little freaked about it -- what if she went into labor "on" election day? What would happen? Would she get to vote? Should she be trying to vote early or absentee or something?

Turns out Cafe Sheri's mom, Bev, wound up delivering Sheri on an election day -- wow! I chatted with her about how events unfolded.

Let's set the scene -- what year was it and who was running?

It was 1970; not a presidential election year. Nixon was working on what would become known as Watergate, though, and California reelected a governor who the nation would elect several years later as President.

How'd your election day go? What happened?

I had my weekly doctor visit that morning since I was two weeks over my due date. He told me that I would probably have the baby (we didn't know sex early then) in 12 - 24 hours -- how about meeting him at the hospital in the afternoon so we could both get a good night's sleep.

Of course my answer was, "I have to vote first" and he replied "So do I." We met in the delivery room about 9:30pm when Sheri decided she had kept us up late enough. It was a brief and uneventful delivery. I was focused on, "Wow, I don't have to do that again since I now had the two children I wanted and planned."

So, who'd you vote for?

I voted for Jesse Unruh for governor of California but he lost to Ronald Reagan by 7%.

Any words of wisdom to moms and grandmas out there?

Take your children with you to vote on Tuesday -- it is one of the most important things they can see you do. If you need a ride, call your local Democratic or Republican headquarters -- they will help you get there.

Are any of you due any second now? Are you worried about possibly having to do some serious multi-tasking tomorrow?