Today I attended my first meeting in the Parliament as a representative for IDF Europe. This meeting is an component of what the IDF Europe crew classifies as "EU Affairs." We met with a few MEP's and the leaders of National Diabetes Organizations to discuss the future of the Diabetes Working Group in the European Union.
The day started off with a rather smooth commute to work (Public Transportation Tip #1: don’t try to be ladylike and cross your legs on the bus. You will topple over embarrassingly onto the person beside you). I tuned into some James Taylor to chill me out, and then headed into the office where I met Chris Delicata, the VP of IDF Europe, and Anne Marie Felton, the Chair of the Federation of European Nurses in Diabetes (FEND). They were both very charming and friendly. After editing a PowerPoint presentation and receiving an official IDF Europe blue circle pin, we hopped in a taxi to head to Parliament. As we drove through the streets of Brussels, Mrs. Felton pointed out nice restaurants and spots worth checking out.
Upon arriving at Parliament, I had to show my passport and receive a badge certifying that I was an official guest of the UK MEP, Sarah Ludford. We then proceeded to the meeting room which overlooked the city of Brussels with a bird's eye view of the Palais de Justice. Somehow, I managed to turn my focus to the meeting and record important notes and suggestions for the meeting minutes. The major point on the agenda was to discuss the logistics of the upcoming World Diabetes Day that will take place in Brussels in mid-November. It was fascinating to be a part of the brainstorming process in politics. All of the planning and strategizing that occur behind closed doors was happening right there while I was in the room. I learned that many of the people have personal ties to the Diabetes cause (i.e. spouses and children suffering from Diabetes). Between hearing these stories and those of my father who has been working closely with a man suffering from severe complications of Diabetes, the cause seems much more real to me. It is astounding that such an epidemic goes relatively unnoticed when compared to Swine Flu and Cardiovascular Disease. In the meeting today, the attendees discussed how it is important that we research the ways in which Cardiovascular Disease has brought it's cause to the forefront of legislative agenda and medical research in an attempt to apply those same techniques to raising awareness about Diabetes.
After the meeting, I returned to the office to type up my notes. There I met Lala who was nervously preparing to send her son off to study abroad for a year. I smiled in a sympathetic manner, remembering the high emotions on the day that I departed for Brussels. She expressed to me that, when she had children, she never imagined what all she would have to go through with them - preparation, separation, anxiety. But, she told me, she cannot imagine her life without her children. This woman has a huge heart. I love that she can be all business with me one moment, and the next open up to me with a profound observation or emotion about family, or cultural influences, or past adventures.
I headed home pretty pleased with the way my day turned out. I had started out nervous and uncertain of what to expect, and I ended up rather confident and content. I settled in for the ride home. I quickly realized I wasn’t the only one having a good day – a young couple sitting across from me, about 14 or 15 years old, I’d have to say, were necking and kissing and canoodling without a care in the world. Ah, Europa…there is no holding back over here.
The day started off with a rather smooth commute to work (Public Transportation Tip #1: don’t try to be ladylike and cross your legs on the bus. You will topple over embarrassingly onto the person beside you). I tuned into some James Taylor to chill me out, and then headed into the office where I met Chris Delicata, the VP of IDF Europe, and Anne Marie Felton, the Chair of the Federation of European Nurses in Diabetes (FEND). They were both very charming and friendly. After editing a PowerPoint presentation and receiving an official IDF Europe blue circle pin, we hopped in a taxi to head to Parliament. As we drove through the streets of Brussels, Mrs. Felton pointed out nice restaurants and spots worth checking out.
Upon arriving at Parliament, I had to show my passport and receive a badge certifying that I was an official guest of the UK MEP, Sarah Ludford. We then proceeded to the meeting room which overlooked the city of Brussels with a bird's eye view of the Palais de Justice. Somehow, I managed to turn my focus to the meeting and record important notes and suggestions for the meeting minutes. The major point on the agenda was to discuss the logistics of the upcoming World Diabetes Day that will take place in Brussels in mid-November. It was fascinating to be a part of the brainstorming process in politics. All of the planning and strategizing that occur behind closed doors was happening right there while I was in the room. I learned that many of the people have personal ties to the Diabetes cause (i.e. spouses and children suffering from Diabetes). Between hearing these stories and those of my father who has been working closely with a man suffering from severe complications of Diabetes, the cause seems much more real to me. It is astounding that such an epidemic goes relatively unnoticed when compared to Swine Flu and Cardiovascular Disease. In the meeting today, the attendees discussed how it is important that we research the ways in which Cardiovascular Disease has brought it's cause to the forefront of legislative agenda and medical research in an attempt to apply those same techniques to raising awareness about Diabetes.
After the meeting, I returned to the office to type up my notes. There I met Lala who was nervously preparing to send her son off to study abroad for a year. I smiled in a sympathetic manner, remembering the high emotions on the day that I departed for Brussels. She expressed to me that, when she had children, she never imagined what all she would have to go through with them - preparation, separation, anxiety. But, she told me, she cannot imagine her life without her children. This woman has a huge heart. I love that she can be all business with me one moment, and the next open up to me with a profound observation or emotion about family, or cultural influences, or past adventures.
I headed home pretty pleased with the way my day turned out. I had started out nervous and uncertain of what to expect, and I ended up rather confident and content. I settled in for the ride home. I quickly realized I wasn’t the only one having a good day – a young couple sitting across from me, about 14 or 15 years old, I’d have to say, were necking and kissing and canoodling without a care in the world. Ah, Europa…there is no holding back over here.
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