RDQ Returns From Washington DC, Part 1

Whewwwwww-wheeee, what an incredible 4 days!

It will take several posts, I think, to share my experience during this extraordinary opportunity to gather with like-minded clergy and lay leaders to work for justice for God's TBLG children. If you want the Human Right Campaign's version of events, see this link or watch the you tube video.

But here's a few random thoughts for you, just to begin ...

** Washington DC is a wonderful city! It is eclectic, international, beautiful and a repository of knowledge as well as historic. There are restaurants featuring every cuisine imaginable. There are many rowdy and fun watering holes --yes, we visited a few!

** Lobbying in DC is best accomplished in running shoes instead of pumps, even if one is wearing a nice dressy suit. I returned home with four blisters and very sore feet. The two blisters on each of my heels are pretty serious --in fact, my blisters have blisters. DH is watching them carefully to make sure they do not get infected, since they are deep, open and oozing. My sister pilgrim-activist Kator twisted her ankle --twice-- and scraped her knee and developed a blister. Even one of our brother pilgrim-activists, Admirable Young Man, developed a blister --let's hear it for Sensible Shoes and white cotton socks, Hip Hip Hooray! Let's have a round of applause for mole skin, band aids and cool wraps ...

** Speaking of our pilgrim activists, let me introduce the cast of characters. Besides yours truly, the intrepid Rev. Dona Quixote, there's Kator, the professional activist among us, a description which hardly does her justice, but will suffice for now; Admirable Young Man, who interns with Kator at the place where activism is accomplished professionally; Drood, who thought about my naming him the Sinister Minister [Ny'ahHaHaHaHa] in this blog, but whom I really can't call that since he is a dear, sweet man; Sir William of Radio, colleague of Drood and unabashed liberal thinker, and last, but not least, Rev. Rotarian, who has Mad Lobbying Skillz. We all made quite the team!

** One of the HRC staffers, TradeMark, our guide and host throughout the lobbying process, is a handsome man who looks like a cross between Frank Sinatra and Harry Connick Jr --and he karaokes like them too. I was grateful for the way in which he guided us through the lobby day.

** We had excellent representation from my denomination, MCC. I was very, very proud of our Moderator and CEO, each of whom presented during some occasion of this event. There were many MCC pastors present, many of whom I knew. It felt very much like a homecoming ...