Uncertainty is nothing to be afraid of

I have had my voting registration sheet sitting stationary at my house for an embarrassingly long time. 

At least two months it’s been on the counter: filled out and ready to mail, but not turned in yet. 

The flimsy piece of paper reminds me of how quickly so many things are about to change. In the middle of April, I am going to be an eighteen-year-old. An adult, or so they say.

I stare at my voting form, thinking about how big of a decision lies within my grasp. I get to vote for our next president. Although I know my vote is not directly for the president, but rather for the Electoral College, it is a huge responsibility. What if I make the wrong choice?

I have found that these kinds of questions do not have any clear answers. It can be easy to become hopeless, to feel as if I am forced to vote between the lesser of two evils instead of the greater of two goods.

Growing up, we never watched the news. Instead, my parents did their own research into each of the candidates before voting. I was a happy-go-lucky kid because I was not surrounded by all the pessimism the news channels like report on. For this, I am grateful. It has helped me to learn to form my opinions based on facts from both sides of an issue, not just what is a hot topic.

As I approach 18, I do not think I can ever know if I am ready yet. However, I do know that I am not alone. I have my family, my friends and my faith standing to support me. 

Even though choices such as deciding where I am going to go to college may have taken a long time, I’ve learned being uncertain is not something to be afraid or ashamed of.

After all, we are all young in the grand scheme of things. We are all still learning how to live in the miracle we call life.