Two Women

They stood near the cleaning products in the Dollar Store,
the day before Super Tuesday, discussing the candidates.

"Not a woman," the older one was saying, "women don't
belong in a place like that. It ain't right!" She looked to be
about 60, but could have been younger, her face care-worn
beneath dyed black hair. "And that's not just me saying it,
that's what God says," and she rolled out the word "God" in a
loud, commanding voice.

"But the other one.." the younger woman began, lifting her
hands from her shopping cart to spread them in a helpless
gesture. She was about half the other woman's age, short
and overweight, her slacks bunched around her heavy
thighs, but her face attractive under skillfully applied makeup.

The older woman interrupted, her voice trembling with
emotion: "Oh, I pray to God he don't get in!"

Then they were speaking with lowered voices so I
couldn't hear the words, but I guessed they were
discussing the dilemma of race and gender, but possibly
in less kindly terms. Their mission was the same as mine,
to stretch their few dollars by buying some basic supplies
where prices are a bit lower than those in the
supermarkets.

Maybe they voted for Mike Huckaby, he carried our
county and won the state of Georgia. A lot of voters
found him comfortable, non-threatening. But Hilary
Clinton captured the county for the Democrats;
Obama won the state.

A woman and a Black man running for the highest
office in the land, and both getting a large number
of votes. Unthinkable only a few years ago. Obama
rings out the message of a need for change- our world
has already changed and is changing. The winds of
change have been more like a hurricane, blowing those
who refuse to accept change into the corners of life and
eventually into the dustbins of history.