…are wall to wall Carerra Marble. On Tuesdays, which is Lobby day in New York, they all filled with various groups of people wearing matching buttons and T-shirts, carrying bags of information and itineraries with appointments. School children with assignments travel in packs and make loud noises that may or may not be shushed. Lots of “suits” and women with heels that clang on the marble, gather in groups to discuss and gossip. Occasional someone rushes by seemingly talking to hisself until you realize that there is a phone attached somewhere under the hurry. This is where the laws are made.

My day started early. My thoughts pretty much went like this:
Oh geez, should have gone to bed earlier.
I am never gonna get these contacts in my eyes..ouch.
Oh, damn..why are you up too?? Here watch TV with Daddy in Momma’s bed and rest.
Where’s that damn clicker.
OMG..what I am going to wear???!!! Don’t forget the work clothes.
Ugg..hair is hopeless..must look neat and clean!
OK..out the door..hurry hurry.
Drop oldest boy child off to school..grrrr..I need my coffee.
OK..coffeee, gas, cash, on to the thruway.
Find directions..OK easy..Making good time.
Don’t speed..don’t want ticket..lol imagine saying sorry officer I have an appointment with Kevin Cahill..chuckle.
Here’s my exit.
OH, why did I just make that turn!!
Stupid stupid. Ok just get off at next exit and turn around…NO..not to Buffalo..OK next exit!
Now just turn around..OK good. Agg..this is not working.Repeat.
Where is this damn street? OMG..I am going to be late. repeat like 10 times turn around.
AgGGG..I hate Albany!! OK turn around..AGGG one way street!! Thank God no one is coming.
OK..I think that is the building..Park park park.
Fine, this will do..Don’t care if it is a meter. Eat quarters..Fine I get a ticket. Must get to building..upppp hill.
Don’t sweat..Oh geez they are doing construction WHERE IS THE DOOR.
Security..good Hi..where am I going? Oh, wrong building.
Walk down concourse..down stairs, make right.YEAH..now find elevator.
Oh, good..I am here. Whew.

And then the fun began. Session was called at 10 pm last night for 10 am today, which means, that all our appointments were going to be with assistants and aides. Basically the drill is that you go in, all sit down on the lovely brown couches (they ALL had the same brown couches!) and say what group you were from and what bill your were pushing. Told them what the bill was about and what you wanted the big guy or lady to do. Support the bill, co-sponsor, vote yes. They asked questions and took notes. They nodded and looked interested. They all promised to pass on all the information. I did this 12 times, once every half hour. Being a total newbie, I caught on fast. Running from floor to floor, searching for a new office, squishing into packed elevators and then learning to opt for the stairs, it was also completely exhausting.

My two other Lobbymates were Bill, a 81 year old adoptee from my town, and Jeannie, a 79 year old adoptee and natural mom from NYC. I got a few chuckles by telling the various aides that in NY State, they were seen and treated as perpetual children. Bill’s standard line was about the unfairness of having to go to 2 wars for the country and not being able to find his father’s grave. All about his civil rights. Jeannie talked of the emotional issues of not being free and treated less than slaves. I was the fact girl. Citing numbers and stats, dismissing the oppositions stance, and giving them something to write on the notepads.

I learned that MANY people not involved in adoption just really do have NO CLUE. Most did seem to think it was unfair. Or they really DID have classes that taught them to nod in the right way and look sympathetic and interested. The most common asked question was “Well, if you don’t have a birth certificate, what do you have?” So explanations on the amended adoptee birth certificate went all around many times. Having a list of important organizations that supported such legislation also helped, as did articles from the Wall Street Journal and Cornell studies. They liked to hear about the stats from other states with legislation such as Oregon and New Hampshire and New South Wales, and took heart that California, Mass, and Maine were also in the same boat as NY. Quotes from the UN International Rights of a Child and pointed out that the US and SOMALIA were together in their non-ratification was also a big note taking eye opener.

One aid told us that “at least we were talking about an interesting subject as opposed to blah balh education, blah blah budgets”. A few had just clear pointed questions and wanted to get to the chase. A few had questions, that I, being a newbie to the laws and having NO clue on the real legislative processes, had to fumble and say..sorry..not the legislative girl. my specialty is adoption.

The best moment was the one actual real Senator that we go in to see, who even had an Adoption agencies brochure on his desk. We did our dog and pony show, quickly as there was a mix up in th scheduled time. He didn’t look like he was moving at all in thought, and then I said to him “Look at me” and he did. He stared.
“I bake cookies for my kids school. I carpool. I have no need to be protected from my son. Here is his picture. Not scarey. I alone know where he gets his blue eyes from, the swoop of his cheekbones, the lines of his jaw. Where is the threat in that?”
It was soon after that we got up to leave, and he indicated that he agreed. It was surprising to say the least. He never cracked a smile, but….he said “Yeah, I’m on board”..whether he just needed to get us out of there or not, but we were already leaving anyway..It was a good feeling. Does one trust a politician when they tell you what you want to hear?

What I am left with the most is a huge surprise that THIS is how our laws are made. Bunches of people talking their talk..telling the big guys what we would like them to do and why. Yeah, I remember Social Studies classes, and I know that this is suppose to be how it works, but to see it in action..it’s mind boggling really. When you are there, when you are the one talking, even when you think that maybe they are just yessing you, it is a great feeling. My God, I talked..little silly me, and they were listening!!! And you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to do this, you don’t have to be amazing, you just have to actually do it.
I heartily recommend that, just once, just so you can feel how simple it works, to go and bother some politicians. The one thing that they said too, was that the letter writing campaigns, they work!
Reclaim your government!

By the end of the day, I was weary. Even I was sick of talking about adoption. I kept on forgetting what I had already said and felt like I was repeating myself because I had already a dozen times. I was holding an empty folder for even my notes had been given away. And oh, my legs hurt. I still had to get to work by 6 and stand and walk till 11 that night, but I tell you..I will do this again, and again.

Albany is only an hour away. And in those halls of marble, I found a strength that I didn’t know I had.