GREENWICH, N.Y. — At the last presidential election in 2016, over 138 Million Americans voted! I can honestly say, out of the 138 Million Americans who voted that day, my experience was one truly of shock, disappointment, disgust, & horror. Now I know what you’re thinking, “I’m not a ‘Trump fan,’ or I’m a ‘Hillary Supporter.'” But this is not that kind of article.
While millions of people wake up and head to the polling booth first thing, I woke up feeling unsettled about the options in front of me. What I did know was I had to get up and get the day going. I had to do the chores, get ready for work, I had to get one ready for school & one for daycare, I had to check the animals, I had a long day of juggling life ahead of me. And of course, I had to fit in voting! Add it to my checklist of things to do! Do I take I take the kids with me to vote? Will they cooperate & behave? Will they listen? It was time for a parenting adventure with the 5 & 2-year-old! Did I mention I had one on the way?
Thankfully, we live in a small Rural community where polling lines are not hours long. I think I was second in line and we were in and out in 10 minutes. Easy peezy with kids! Voting was done!
Now I’m feeling pretty good about checking it off the list. Being a mom, with a job, sometimes things do not always go as planned. I have learned to be flexible, but I still focus on that daily checklist. And the next thing on that list is to head home for chores and dinner prep! So as I pulled into the driveway, I noticed something very off. The turkeys we were raising had gotten out of their pen and were roaming the back yard. Keep in mind, I’m not a real farmer, more a hobby farmer that wants to raise food for my family. We were raising 6 turkeys for family and friends for a nice Thanksgiving dinner. And being November and weeks away from Thanksgiving we are talking 40-pound Turkeys. All over my backyard. Now is the time to mentally prepare yourself.
I get out of the car with the kids and tell them to stay put. I rush to the pen, grab some turkey food and shuffle them back in. I turn to look over my shoulder just as my two-year-old decided to go down the slide that was on our back hill. The slide that the Turkeys decided to play on and go down this afternoon. The slide that is now covered in poo. As he got to the bottom, he held up his hands, touches his face & hair, and screams “MOMMMAAAA”! He runs over toward me and before I could fully understand what was going on and stop him, he wipes his hands on me and wants to get picked up. And as I’m still processing the messy situation in front of me, I see my 5 year old daughter head for the slide. I scream for her to stop but am seconds too late as she is sliding down the same slide and into the same pile of S*** my son had just gone through. Hands, hair, face, clothing, shoes, covered.
This is one of those moments as a mom you just stare blankly into air and think to yourself “What the F just happened”. I am now covered in Turkey poo, as is my son, as is my daughter, as is my backyard. My new checklist now includes, shower time, disinfect, bath time, disinfect, laundry time, disinfect. Husband, please pick up takeout on your way home, preferably not turkey.
This was the year my “I Voted” selfie looked slightly different. Along with my hashtags #imwithshit #itallsmellslikeshittome #mymemoryofthe2016election #ididmydutysodidmyturkeys #readyforthanksgiving
–by Heidi Clary, Wife, Mom, Life Juggler, Evening Farmer