What do you think of when you hear the word “politician?” If you ever watched the TV show 30 Rock, I always imagined politicians were like the character Jack Donaghy – a hardball business executive who sees himself as superior to others, but occasionally proves he has a heart.
This was the image in my mind when I joined 11 other HealthPoint representatives in Olympia to advocate for our patients and organization. That day we spoke with almost 30 state representatives and senators, sharing the important work HealthPoint does in the community and what resources we need to continue that work.
All my life I thought politicians were above me. What could I, an average citizen, tell them that they didn’t already know? Why would they listen to me? However, what I discovered was that Olympia isn’t full of overconfident Jack Donaghys, it’s full of fellow nerds and passionate advocates. They were just normal folks: working parents, fashionistas, and people with social anxieties. Also, they wanted to hear what I had to say. Just by working in health care I was considered an expert, and they depend on us to tell them what’s happening in the community. Who would have guessed that politicians are normal people who rely on our knowledge and advice.
Politicians rely on US to tell them what matters to our communities. Use your voice to tell them loud and clear that we can’t afford to lose health care!
