Today I got invited to the ________award dinner by _________ herself! I confess I am ecstatic. A part of me is like yeah progress- you are in the “George and Wheezy big leagues now”, “Took a whole lotta trying, just to get up that hill”, but it also feels very surreal. Though I know this is my life, my purpose is to make a difference for those without a voice, and to make the criteria more manageable for those who are led to do this work. Albeit, a lot more work needs to be done, but I will celebrate this victory.  — I attended ____ award luncheon and it was truly nothing to write home about. I am not sad I attended, as it was nice to get a peek into how  the other half celebrates a major law changing win. There were maybe 20 people in attendance, whom all seemed to know each other and were patting one another on the back. The meal was served buffet style but catered by ___. I couldn’t help but wonder who was footing the bill. Is this the type of events members pay for? Who gets a say in where the money goes? And they wonder why I refuse to pay for a membership.