A Monumental Day

The meeting that changed it all

Perhaps there was a moment growing up where you crossed paths with a kid you usually took pains to avoid.  Nothing good ever came from that!

Perhaps this kid accused you of something you didn’t do, and got others to go along with it. Soon it reached a teacher, and then the dreaded walk to the principal’s office began.

As you sat outside his office, you rapidly went through all the facts, trying to arrange them in the most persuasive way. You didn’t know how you were going to overcome the accusation.

Eventually you resigned yourself to your fate, because that kid was a skillful liar and the truth was tough to prove. What chance would you have?

But from the moment you walked into the office, the principal looked you in the eye. With courtesy, with respect. He listened and asked intelligent questions and didn’t rush you. Certainly he wasn’t just going through the motions.

And at some point you realized…he believes me.

It was like that.

For weeks I’ve searched for the words to describe what happened in one Congressional office during my recent trip to Washington DC. The meeting that changed everything. It was simply too big, too amazing, too hopeful. I could not write about it.

But then I thought about how it felt to prepare all the arguments, replies to the usual dismissals or disbelief, the ways to ease into the difficult stuff…and not need them at all.

Because he already knew.

He was already informed.

And he already believed us.

It was so monumental that it threw me off. I had to fight to keep my jaw from dropping open.

Luckily Ana was doing the talking, and for her getting thrown off takes just a moment of hesitation before she pivots and moves on. It was something to behold!

We have been battling people not knowing and people not believing for so long. It was astounding to talk to someone who both knew and believed. It is the moment of pure hope I carry with me every day.

Our community did that! We informed, we reposted and commented, we handed out flyers, we protested. We used our voices to reach people who influence the course of this country. We should be so proud of that!

There is more work to be done. But the next time you see someone comment that there’s no point in fighting, please share this with them. Things are changing in Washington. And we will never stop until all of us are free.