At a recent townhall meeting I connected with a woman who advocates for the NW Downs Syndrome Association (NWDSA). Sen. Kate Brown had recommended that we Activistas could learn a lot from her knowledge of and success in Salem. My townhall question had been: If you want to support a policy or a bill in Salem, what's the best approach? Sort of a 'Salem 101 for newbies' - like me! So, Angela very nicely invited me (and Georgia, my 1 & 1/2 year old) to the organization's first and very new digs to chat. While the bambinos played (Adara & Georgia, below), I learned...a lot. About advocating for positions you support, building relationships, creating strategies, finding funding if you need it (who doesn't??), raising consciousness, being persistent, patient and sometimes dogged. I left energized & humbled. Lots to learn, lots to do.
Someone snapped this pic on my way out the door of me, two very sleepy babies, and Adara's mama, a new NWDSA board member with loads of Activista energy. Passivistas, we called our girls, and their Activista mamas. I love this picture because it shows the connections we're making in this endeavor, the similarities among all parents, no matter their particular issue(s), and mostly, the chance to make new friends - be they Passivistas or Activistas! Thanks, Abby, for sharing this photo and your perspective, and for making my own little world that much bigger.
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