Decisions about your children's education can be made by vote. Rules governing how you may use your land can be made by vote. Much of your life can be affected by how your neighbors vote. Those who vote in the minority are stuck with what those in the majority choose. In other words, democracy is that system of political governance in which the ayes have it and the nays get it.
Some people make a big fuss over the difference between a democracy and a republic.
In the first system, the people vote on everything directly. In the second, the people vote for representatives who decide specific matters on behalf of the people. There are certainly important differences between a republic and a democracy. But they are not the most important issues. More important is how broad or narrow is the range of things subject to vote by anyone.