As the Director of the Executive Office on Early Learning, I was invited to attend the signing of HB986 HD1 SD2 which requires diagnostic audiologic evaluation results of newborn hearing screening evaluations, or infants whose hearing status changes, to be provided to the Department of Health and HB987 HD1 SD1 which amends the hearing and vision program statute to increase the early identification of children with hearing or vision loss, by establishing consistent protocols for hearing and screening and follow-up, screener training, and data collection for quality improvement.
Seeing a child with his mother, and meeting other parents, grounded me (again) in knowing that our work - and the pace at which we work - impacts children and families.
Now to the picture.
This was the first time I participated in such an event. I've barely watched a few of these in the past on tv or Facebook live. So now it was my turn to be a part of a team who championed a cause - even though I've only been on the job for 32 work days.
I worried about what to wear, where to park, if my shirt would be speckled from the rain, whom else would be there, if media might be aroundI'll 39 and ask me questions I do not have the answers for yet, and so on.
I wanted to leave the office at 9:45 to give myself ample time to park and check in prior to 10:15. But, I left at 9:55, there was some traffic, I plugged in the Capitol rather than the parking lot for the Capitol and ugh......you know the feeling???
I pulled into the driveway, saw some 'No Public Parking' signs around the driveway and then ran into this - a closed gate. What the heck, I've never seen the gate closed before. Why didn't they say there's no parking? (A quick glance across the street and you can see there is some sort of construction going on.)
OMG - now I'm late! I reversed and went to pay for parking at the Department of Health (rather than using my pass someplace else because I don't know where those places are in relation to the Capitol) and ran across the street - hoping not to sweat, mess up my hair, or get speckles on my shirt from the drizzle.
I got into an elevator with a man who was coming up from the underground floor - the parking garage. I asked, "Did you park in the garage?" He says, "Yes." I then question whether the gate was closed when he approached and he said it was. I then asked how he got in. He said, "I pushed the button."
"I pushed the button."
Why didn't I do that? I didn't even know there was a button to press. I didn't even drive up to the gate. I looked, reversed, and moved away. I was in a different state of mind, not a thinking mind, which caused me to assume and take an alternate route.
How many other assumptions occur in my work and life? Is the gate really closed and locked and not open to the public or do I need to approach and push the button?
PUSH. THE. BUTTON.
I was so upset that I didn't approach the gate that I swung around after the ceremony to go and try it out for myself. I learned that you also need to press a button to exit. No sound, no voice, no person, just a brief wait.
And by the way, after seeing the little boy and his mom - I really didn't care about what I looked like because what I look like does not matter to the health and wellbeing of children, my work does.
