That was fast...

I've taken the position of New Mexico Representative for American Adoption Congress. Within about two weeks of it becoming "official", I received an e-mail from a first-mom who had just renewed her lapsed membership. She is living in the same town as I am. I couldn't be more thrilled. I told her I've felt like I'm living in the Outback (which isn't that much of an overstatement for Southern New Mexico, actually).

Paula and I promptly scheduled a lunch and talked for almost 3 hours. I was amazed to learn of how active she's been in advocacy over the years. She worked for a legislator in Austin for several years and while there saw some adoption legislation moving through. She also organized many regional "retreats", informal, weekend gatherings for moms and adoptees. I told her I had been thinking about working towards exactly that, probably for New Mexico in Socorro (mid-state) and hopefully at some point in Tucson for El Paso, TX, New Mexico, Arizona, and maybe Southern Calif, depending on how ambitious people are about driving.

Anyway, won't recount our entire visit (obviously) but want to express my excitement, particularly because I plan to draw her in for some legislative insight/ideas for New Mexico. (She already knows more about the NM statutes than I do at this point.) Meanwhile I'm studying-up and will be at the Operation Identity conference in Albuquerque, which will include a session on NM's confidential intermediary program.

Original birth certificates

I learned that Pennsylvania will be looking at legislation to open original birth records (OBC's) to adoptees. Strange thing is, when someone excitedly told me of this, I felt I "should" be excited, but really it didn't mean much.

I've located my birthparents and know their names. I have my fake birth certificate that includes(supposedly, my) baby footprints. If I was given a birth name, my natural mother doesn't remember doing so- yet she does she remember my birth date, either- so maybe I did have a birth name. I guess the creepy gap to be discovered is to see if I'm named "Baby Girl" on the paperwork.

There must be some kind of layers of experience in receiving one's OBC. Just can't envision what they'd be.