I survived the community conversation for the advocacy group I'm part of. I did not, however, survive it as a board member. I called it quits on being a board member and committee chair yesterday, and I did so very politely and somehow without hinting about how much damage the group dynamics have done to me. Yay...
I do really think advocacy is incredibly important, and I intend to continue advocating, but my stress levels demonstrate I was trying too hard and trying to do too much. The group will keep me as a member, and I'll keep two of my easier responsibilities (keeping a website up, but not updating it, and managing a Google Calendar), but the other responsibilities will fall on other people, or not, as the group chooses.
Anyway, I ran the community conversation. It was poorly advertised, and thus attendance was low, but it was a kindness to me that the people who did come were all familiar to me. Two came from the adult autistic group I try to attend once a month or more, and two of my friends sympathetic to the subject came as well. It was sweet of them all to show up. I don't know whether they got much out of it, but I did try to deliver something worth seeing.
I'd thrown together a presentation on advocacy, which I've passed along to the advocacy group in case they'd like to use it. It took me a long time to make, but I think it turned out all right. Turns out there are several apps you can use to make it easier to talk to your legislators and tell them how you feel about subjects. There are also a few websites that let you track bills in the Michigan Congress, and a couple on the national level that focus specifically on disability issues. In addition, there's a state-created guide to talking to your legislators, including tips for writing and visiting. If there's interest, I can summarize my presentation for a Friday post.
In unrelated news, I'm typing this on Tuesday at 6pm in an airport, because I'm going to be exhausted tomorrow morning. I'm going to be traveling to Connecticut, to help my parents finish preparing to move to Michigan. Even with my noise canceling earphones in, this place is pretty loud. To make things even odder for me, I'm typing this on my tablet, using a bluetooth keyboard my spouse got me. My screen is on my lap, and so is my keyboard. It's an odd experience for someone used to writing on a computer.
I'd best get used to it, though. I've finally re-developed a buffer (set of backdated posts) for my blog (yayyyyy), but the thing about buffers is that they go away if you don't maintain them. So that will give me something to do, if for some reason sorting through my old belongings at my parents' house isn't busying enough. I'm sure my mother will want to go hiking or do some form of exercise, too.
I actually had a hard time deciding what to bring with me on the trip, other than clothes. So much of my life lives on this tablet. Right now, for example, Chris and I are watching through the Stargate TV shows through an online subscription. That's on my tablet. I have a couple time-wastey phone games that I play... also on my tablet. I have my blog, my music, my news... tablet, tablet, tablet.
As a last ditch "just in case the tablet dies" measure, I brought my 3DS, which is a handheld gaming system. I'm not super excited or into any of the games I brought, but I'm kind of afraid my tablet's battery will die eventually, despite the two chargers, power strip, and two backup battery packs I brought. (Why no, I don't feel particularly paranoid today, why do you ask...?)
I do really think advocacy is incredibly important, and I intend to continue advocating, but my stress levels demonstrate I was trying too hard and trying to do too much. The group will keep me as a member, and I'll keep two of my easier responsibilities (keeping a website up, but not updating it, and managing a Google Calendar), but the other responsibilities will fall on other people, or not, as the group chooses.
Anyway, I ran the community conversation. It was poorly advertised, and thus attendance was low, but it was a kindness to me that the people who did come were all familiar to me. Two came from the adult autistic group I try to attend once a month or more, and two of my friends sympathetic to the subject came as well. It was sweet of them all to show up. I don't know whether they got much out of it, but I did try to deliver something worth seeing.
I'd thrown together a presentation on advocacy, which I've passed along to the advocacy group in case they'd like to use it. It took me a long time to make, but I think it turned out all right. Turns out there are several apps you can use to make it easier to talk to your legislators and tell them how you feel about subjects. There are also a few websites that let you track bills in the Michigan Congress, and a couple on the national level that focus specifically on disability issues. In addition, there's a state-created guide to talking to your legislators, including tips for writing and visiting. If there's interest, I can summarize my presentation for a Friday post.
In unrelated news, I'm typing this on Tuesday at 6pm in an airport, because I'm going to be exhausted tomorrow morning. I'm going to be traveling to Connecticut, to help my parents finish preparing to move to Michigan. Even with my noise canceling earphones in, this place is pretty loud. To make things even odder for me, I'm typing this on my tablet, using a bluetooth keyboard my spouse got me. My screen is on my lap, and so is my keyboard. It's an odd experience for someone used to writing on a computer.
I'd best get used to it, though. I've finally re-developed a buffer (set of backdated posts) for my blog (yayyyyy), but the thing about buffers is that they go away if you don't maintain them. So that will give me something to do, if for some reason sorting through my old belongings at my parents' house isn't busying enough. I'm sure my mother will want to go hiking or do some form of exercise, too.
I actually had a hard time deciding what to bring with me on the trip, other than clothes. So much of my life lives on this tablet. Right now, for example, Chris and I are watching through the Stargate TV shows through an online subscription. That's on my tablet. I have a couple time-wastey phone games that I play... also on my tablet. I have my blog, my music, my news... tablet, tablet, tablet.
As a last ditch "just in case the tablet dies" measure, I brought my 3DS, which is a handheld gaming system. I'm not super excited or into any of the games I brought, but I'm kind of afraid my tablet's battery will die eventually, despite the two chargers, power strip, and two backup battery packs I brought. (Why no, I don't feel particularly paranoid today, why do you ask...?)
No comments:
Post a Comment