Ms. Fabulous Goes to Washington

It's nearly 10:30 p.m. and I should be going to bed soon because tomorrow I'm off to Washington, D.C. for a work conference. The Washington 15, sponsored by the Young Leadership Council of United Jewish Communities, takes place every four years and brings together more than 1000 young adults age 25-45 for various activities of a political nature.

This is my first time attending such a conference and my first opportunity to lobby members of the United States Congress (or at least their staff members) on Capitol Hill. The cynic in me wonders what affect a bunch of young Jews can have on their respective senators and representatives. Sadly, possessing a degree in public policy often just makes you more aware of the crazy antics that go into our American political process and not any more enthusiastic.

In junior high I wrote a paper about how Congress is like a garlic press - squeezing the essence out of a bill and while probably losing something along the way, still coming to the end with a chewed up version of the original. Yes, even in 7th grade I was a snarky kid.

Now as an adult, and more importantly as the lead staff for my local delegation to an activist conference, I try to hearken to the inspirational words of Margaret Mead. She said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

Let's hope she's right and stay tuned later this week for post-facto dispatches...