Congressional Road Kill

My buddy Jake had a “Promise to Remember” meeting with his local congressman, one Honorable Representative Bartlett.

Poor guy no idea what he was in for.

Jake is an 8. Not years old, he is that too, 8 is what he registers on the Richter scale.

I met Jake at FFL. His mom thought that ‘cause we were at Disney world she should be Bashful about trying to get free a down load cable for her meter. I helped her out - I ain't Bashful.

Jake calls me Mr. BadShoe like it is our secret joke. Mr. BadShoe Jake is too well brought up not to call a male grown up Mr. but no reason not have a good time with it.

Jake’s a real sweet kid and way too smart for his own good.

So anyway Mom was told that the Congressman had a background in physiology and might go off on his own tangent, the meeting was scheduled for 15 minutes but would probably be shorter. (Translated into outside the beltway speak - the Congressman is very important and he should be allowed to pontificate on his agenda, you are the prop for the photo op.)

So anyway Mom prepared Jake for 15 minutes. Every who know Jake is thinking Andy Warhol at this point.

Mom prepares Jake a lot. I don’t know why.

I knew Jake for about 5 minutes and I knew he was force of nature. He is going where he is going. I am Mr. BadShoe and that is that. Mom’s know him from the start - come to think of it I bet he kicked up a storm in the womb. You think she would know him better by now…..

Mom picks up the story after the prep talk, “So there are 4 of us including Jake and the Congressman is going to do most of the talking but it would be short.

“We get in there and his chief of staff introduces himself first and Jake does the same and says "I am Jake and I have type 1 diabetes" the staff member made the mistake of then asking Jake if he ‘took shots or pills.’"

Duck and Cover.

“Jake was incredulous, and went on to give the 2 men a primer in the differences between the 2 types of diabetes. Jake also asked them to support funding whenever it came up because he wanted a cure but would settle for a better artificial pancreas than the one he has now (pump and cgms and himself) the congressman then said he didn't know why they called it a artificial pancreas.”

Dude! What the..? Don’t they give you lessons in Congressman School about not giving the floor to someone who is gonna school you?

Jake told him it called that because it is his pancreas that doesn't work.

Mom said “The congressman went on to tell Jake that the pancreas secretes enzymes and those are still working and that the islets of langerhorns is where insulin comes from.

"Jake then told him yes but those are in the pancreas, that is where the beta cells are and that is where insulin and that other hormone "what is that other hormone called mom?" ‘amylin’

“It was a lively discussion that lasted 30 minutes and the JDRF people were all excited because the Congressman walks Jake out. (Right like calling security on a kid was an option? I can just hear the staff guy thinking get this kid out of here before they get a TV camera rolling!) JDRF said it was the best meeting with a politician that they have ever had and want Jake to speak with the state Senator.”

Call FEMA now Senator.

Jake - Love Ya/Mean It