I am in Newark NJ for business and was sitting at a local hotel bar. Little did I know it was going to be my opportunity to convert 2 people.
Meet me over the hump.
I am in Newark NJ for business and was sitting at a local hotel bar watching the Chicago White Sox take on the New Yor Yankees. My goal was to watch the Sox, hopefully producing a win. That's it. I am in Newark, NJ. I hated being here since I got here. I cannot find my hotel room EVERY time I try to come home from the office. I get lost each end every time. I have come to loathe every inch of this place (no offense to local NJ’ers).
So, I go to the only place I can go to watch my Chicago White Sox vs. The New York Yankees. It happens to be a hotel 3 doors down from where I am staying. I got there, and sat at the bar.
There was a man sitting next to me who, I found out, was from Utah. We became friendly as we talked about baseball. How he became a Yankees fan, where he was from, what he does for a living.
Turns out my new found friend is a Machinist from Utah. I tell him that my dad was a machinist and owned his own business for over 30 years. Same type of work he was doing. We bonded.
I asked him how he became a Yankees fan being from Utah, and he gave me the explanation. Nothing to report here, but essentially, he grew up in Utah, but spent some time in New Jersey. Being a baseball guy, he was drawn in by the Yankees. Fair enough. Who am I to judge? Just as long as he was not a Cubs fan, we could talk.
Anyway, I inquired about his political leanings. He told me that his whole family was (being from Utah) very much into McCain. I told him that I was very much for Obama and would love to hear his opinion on why he would vote for McCain. His response was "I am not sure, I just will".
I probed him in issues: Health Care, Life Choice, Education, Taxes, etc.
I told him why I was voting for Obama...The topic I wanted to hook him on was Health Care. Turns out that was all I needed. I told him, that my dad, like him, was a machinist. My dad built a good comfortable like for himself, but he worked hard; very hard. He did it for over 30 years, until he began to lose business and decided to retire.
My mom in the mean time was a "stay at home" so that she could take care of my brother and me. As my parents were both immigrants, they did not think anything of doing that. They were just happy to experience the "American Dream".
I told my new friend that after 30 years, my dad decided to retire. He did not retire because he wanted to, but because he was not getting much business anymore. Fine. My parents planned on spending some time together...until my dad was diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s. This was not an easy pill to swallow. My mom, in discovering this, needed health insurance. She went back to work after over 30 years, as a cashier, just for health insurance.
This is how it is in my family. My Mom has to work to afford heath insurance. At a time when they should be enjoying their retirement, my mom needs to work.
I told my new found friend this and I got his attention. I told him the difference between Obama’s plan and McCain’s plan. I told him that we are the only non-third world country that does not have provided health care. This fact shocked him. He did not know that. I educated him on it.
The waitress (local) was listening in , and joined the conversation. She mentioned that she liked Sarah Palin. So I pointed out to her that she was against a woman’s right to choose. She was shocked! I told her the truth about the whole Palin thing and gave her resources to read up on her.
All in all, I converted 2 people tonigh. I told them to go back home, read up on the issues (and told them were to do it), and to convert 2 more people with the hopes that they would, in turn, convert 2 more people.
Hopefully, the word will spread and the mis-information will cease. Word of mouth. It changes things.