In this column, we often talk about stories.
How important they are to pass down to your family and friends, how they can bring us together, and how they can empower us.
Earlier this week, I attended the 16th annual Tri-county Legislative Forum held by the Area Agency on Aging in which folks told their stories directly to Michigan state legislators and their staff.
Up until this week, I didn’t think politicians cared about what real people had to say. It seemed to be the only time they showed care was when it also benefited them. I was wrong.
These legislators took 90 minutes, plus drive time, out of their day to come to this event to hear about real issues affecting real people. They made it clear they wanted to be there to hear from the public.
One even asked: how do we get these stories out to more people, especially to other state legislators whose districts don’t hold events like this?
The long answer is a list of marketing ideas I have, but the short answer is persistent and consistent storytelling.
That’s why we have this column each week. That’s why we collect letters to take to Lansing on Older Michiganians Day to hand directly to the legislators each spring. That’s why the Area Agency on Aging holds the forum each year.
One of the stories we heard at the forum this year was that of Lori Erhardt.
Lori was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in her 40s and is now a wheelchair user, living at a long-term care facility.
“Fortunately, I live in a facility where the people listen and care. There are thousands of people living in long-term care that may not be so lucky. They don’t know their rights, or they can’t speak up for themselves. They are left to suffer in silence. They need to have their advocate,” Lori told the legislators.
She was praising the Long-term Care Ombudsman program, which desperately needs more funding and support, and is one of the policy issues AAAs across the state are advocating for this year.
“It’s my dream to move out of the nursing home so I don’t have to look at the same two walls for the rest of my life,” she said. “Thanks to the Ombudsman program and the Area Agency on Aging, I’m hopeful again. I’m excited about my future.”
Another forum attendee, Erin Sage, spoke about what it’s been like being a family caregiver for 20 years, the health condition she faced as a result, and what the legislators could do to better support people like her.
And the thing is, everyone listened.
“To be a family caregiver here in the state of Michigan, many times, what people are doing is sacrificing their own life for the life of a loved one,” Erin said.
After the forum, I now believe our state legislators want to hear from us. They want to know our stories so they can better advocate for their constituents in Lansing.
Government might be an exhausting, slow-moving machine, but it is run by people who have families and lives just like us. And those people want to hear about the struggles, and the triumphs, of everyday people’s lives.
Earlier, I mentioned the letters we take to Lansing on Older Michiganians Day. This year it’s Wednesday, May 17.
We invite you to take a few minutes to tell us your story, so we can take it with us. You can do that by filling out a digital letter on our website, or by downloading the paper letter, filling it out and returning it to us before Monday, May 15.
You can find the letters, as well as a complete breakdown of this year’s advocacy priorities at https://areaagencyonaging.org/advocacy/.
On that webpage, you can also find a link to watch the livestream of the Older Michiganians Day event where stories will be shared from all around Michigan.
Storytelling is something that connects us all – across cultures, languages and backgrounds. And, even if it doesn’t always seem like it, people want to listen.