White shoes...a must for all after Labor Day!
By Susan Kramms
[Susan Kramms is an AU Advocate and political activist living in Guilford, CT. She's currently working on her six month community placement at NAMI. In her spare time she is writing a memoir about living with bipolar. This is Susan's version of "Legislative Advocacy" written for a class assignment.]
Hello. I am Susan and I am here to talk to you about Legislative Advocacy in action. I had an issue that brought out the activist in me. I started by looking up the representatives for my town and district; Senator Meyer and State Representative Patricia Widlitz. They both live in Guilford and expect to be called at their office or home by their constituents. I spoke to each about the many merits of wearing white shoes year round. That's right, every man, woman and child. Senator Meyer chuckled and said he was wearing his right at that very moment. He couldn't agree more. Patricia Widlitz and I set up a meeting and you know what, she was wearing her white, spiked high heals.
After our discussions, they each asked me to write letters to them detailing my recommendations, reasoning, and most of all my own personal experiences in writing; an emotional and value based appeal. What's more value based than "white goes with everything?" I threw a party at the local yacht club, remember money talks, and invited voters to meet their State Representatives. We invited the media. The turn out was phenomenal. Everyone was wearing white shoes.
To my surprise, Senator Meyer proposed the year round wearing of white shoes as a bill. The Public Safety Committee raised the bill considering how many pedestrian accidents could be prevented by the natural reflective qualities of them. I, along with about 60 supporters went to the Capitol to the hearing. I pulled a ticket for the lottery to see when I'd be testifying. We were third. I gave a three minute speech wearing my white Jimmy Choos. After that I revised my testimony, and sent it to all the local newspapers as a Letter to the Editor. You wouldn't believe the response I received. Letters, phone calls, email's; all from people feeling this would finally give them a chance to be stigma free; finally able to wear white shoes, whenever they felt.
Word got back to the politicians. It got a joint favorable (JF) committee vote, then went to the floor. After that it went to both houses and passed. At last it went to Governor Jodi Rell wearing her white Pradas. She signed it into law. White after Labor Day was now a must for all.
What Recovery Means To Me
By M. Pyrek
To me recovery is a personal and individualized journey. It is characterized by multiple setbacks. It is an arduous, continual process and lifelong process. Recovery involves learning to cope from day to day. Recovery involves taking two steps forward and three steps back. My journey of recovery will never be complete. Why? How can one forget the past? It is impossible because it is always there, it is always behind you lurking in corners; it is a shadow that never leaves. It is easy to slip back into old, familiar behaviors and ideas. The paradox of recovery is that in accepting what we cannot do, we begin to discover who we are and what we can do. The concept of struggling is an integral part of life. Without it there would be no meaning to life. It is a common law of all mankind. Suffering can be corrective or constructive. It is corrective when it allows us to amend our life; it is corrective when it enables us to lead life down healthier pathways. We adhere or cling to old behaviors, fighting against the assimilation of that which is new. Recovery does not mean the absence of pain. It is pain and suffering that allows us an inner growth. It requires that we revise our thinking and behavior. Recovery is a dark night. I believe that spirituality is also an important part of recovery. Spiritual growth is effortful. It requires that we confront the truth and facing the truth can be painful character. It requires that we take risks into unknown territory. Jumping from the known to unknown without being fully insured. Recovery is a reality and it is growth.
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