Lesson: Work Hard and Play Hard

This week was a busy week at the firm and the Capitol. It was the 2011 State of Black Florida Week, and and members from several black organizations came to the Capitol to to lobby for issues that were important to each of their organizations and the publics they serve. Some of the organizations included LINKS, Inc., a few of the Black Greek Letter Organizations, and the presidents of Bethune-Cookman University, Florida Memorial University, and Edward Waters College.  Also, since it was such a busy week, I was able to sit in on my first committee meeting and report what went on to one of the other lobbyists at the firm.

By the end of the week, things had calmed down at the office, so Yolanda invited me to the Florida Caucus of Black State Legislators Annual Gala Celebration. At the gala, I saw many of the senators and representatives I had met since starting my internship, and I even got to meet Florida Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll.

After the brief presentation made by the executive board of the Caucus, the Tallahassee Nights Live Band, began to play some music. Next I found myself electric sliding, cha-cha sliding, twisting, Cupid shuffling, and forming soul train lines with legislators, school board members, the mayor of Tallahassee, the lieutenant governor, and other influential people of Florida.

"See, when you work hard, you play hard, too," Yolanda said to me as the gala was wrapping up.

Before coming to the gala, I had no idea how much fun I would have. Because I thought these people held some of the most important and influential jobs in the state, I kept forgetting that they do have lives outside of their careers and they want to have fun just like you and me.