Who are you...and what have you done with my husband?

One day last week, Michael and the boys came home from football and all the boys came rushing in and said "Mom, come see dad's car!!!" I had NO idea what to expect from this comment. So, I went outside expecting to see a dent or a car covered in mud or dirt, but not THIS....

And what's more, the boys came in with the white shoe polish in hand with elated expressions declaring "Dad said we can do the windows on the too!! (Now in a hushed kind of tone) You just have to say it's ok". I'm not sure if they were thinking that I might really say ok. But I shut down that idea very quickly. I think my exact words were "No way!" Now maybe this just stirred up something in me that doesn't like to be embarrassed or have people think I'm wierd just as they drive by my car. If people think I'm wierd after they know me, that's their problem, but I don't want them making judgements about me just because of what's painted on my car windows. Ok, my issue, I realize that!

I asked Michael later what persuaded him to do something so out of character for him. He said that it was two things: First, he wanted to communicate to the boys the importance of this election. He said that this election is so important that we must be willing to step outside of our comfort zone and do something radical to stand up for what we believe in. The other reason was just to exercise his first amendment right to free speech. He's concerned that it seems to be going down the tubes. If a person (like "Joe the plumber") says something that's against the mainstream, all of a sudden all the "powers that be" pull all their resources together to discredit the person saying it. That's just not right. So, he wanted to paint his windows, just because he can. Ok, good reasons, I admit. If HE wants to do that to HIS car, more power to him.

But then on Friday he informed me that he was going to paint the windows on the van for our trip up to Austin for J&J's championship football game. What!!! I was now going to have to ride in a painted van...AND through Austin, certainly not a bastion for conservatism. There are even bumperstickers that people have in Austin that say "Keep Austin wierd". I'm sure anywhere in Austin you can throw a stick and hit a democrat. I opened my big mouth with a smart-alec suggestion to write "Democrats for McCain" on one window so maybe there would be democrats in Austin who would think "Oh, it must be ok to vote for McCain, there's someone else who's doing it". Note to self...keep your big mouth closed! The side window on the van said "TX Dems for McCain" alongside "TX Socialists for Obama" The back window had the "Barack in '08 Broke in '09" and the other said had the "Palin Power" "McCain Rocks" on it. I asked Michael if he minded if I wore my jacket over my head the whole way! And truth be told, at one point after the football game I was walking out to the car to get something for the boys out of the back of the car. There was a family reading all the signs and laughing at it. I saw them and (I'm ashamed to say it!) I walked right by the car. I waited until they were moving on to head back to the car and get my stuff out. Even then, though, someone else stopped and commented to me about the windows (a supportive comment of course, it's a homeschool/Christian school game). I wanted to blurt out "I didn't want to do it! It's my husband's idea! Can I ride home with you?!", but I didn't. I just smiled.

Really, most people gave us thumbs up as they were driving past or laughed and had supportive comments to make. (And a comment about Barack being misspelled). Know what? Maybe it's not the big deal that I made it out to be. But, thankfully, Michael cleaned off the van windows before church yesterday! :-)

I love my husband for standing up for what he belives in....even in white shoe polish!