LEAP on the Hill: Stories from the week of March 21, 2008

Standing on the shoulders of giants: In the hallway en route to lunch at the Longworth cafeteria, I saw four guys coming in the opposite direction. I recognized one as an aide I had spoken to earlier this year. We exchanged a quick, ‘Hey, how is it going?’ as we passed each other, each with no time to stop and chat. (The Hill is the closest I have come to living/working like an ant. Everyone is always busy with something).

Having finished the initial meetings with the 540 offices in the House and Senate (minus the 3% who refused to give me time), I am now in the process of doing it again; either a 3-5 minute update or a new presentation to a new legislative aide. This second meeting is a huge assist in helping me recognize a face, thus the brief ‘how are you’ in the hallway.

Does it make a difference, to be recognized? Five years ago I asked Norma Sapp how she was able to pass a marijuana reform bill thru the Oklahoma Senate. What was her ‘magic’ argument, what brilliant presentation did she make? None of that she replied. After 14 years of being in the halls of the legislature, becoming a person whose information was trusted & knowing all the politicians and their aides…. those were the keys to her success. In short, wear out many pairs of shoes or boots. As Jonathan Livingston Seagull said, “The perfect speed is being there.”

So, if you ever wondered about my methods, why I make all these visits, are they doing any good…I believe it is. I learned from those who have been successful.