Beauty in the Spam Folder: How paying attention to my inbox led to a moment of advocacy
Last week I was scrolling through my inbox. I hadn’t checked it for a few days because it’s an email address that tends to get a lot of spam. Somehow, I got on a list to receive action alerts from a state-wide advocacy group. I didn't recognize the name of the organization, but the issues they’ve promoted align with my values, so I haven’t unsubscribed yet. I usually just delete the emails. But one message in particular caught my eye. “Contact the Senate committee today to support proposed changes in disability parking laws!” Since I use a wheelchair and have first-hand experience with parking challenges, I clicked on the link, thinking I would just fill out and send the provided email template. I’d done this before for other organizations and causes, and it was easy. This level of involvement was within my comfort zone. However, listed under the email option was information about giving live testimony to the committee via Zoom. I was intrigued, so I found the full text of the Hous