Monday, November 21, 2005

Monday, November 21, 2005

End of an era Tomorrow might be the beginning of the end of an era. Tomorrow, I have my interview for American citizenship in Memphis. I've been an alien for 15 years, a permanent one for 13 of those years. I'm kind of struggling with what the concept of citizenship means. I've lived here for more than half of my life, but, somehow, I don't think of myself as American. I've adopted many many American ways of thinking and many American customs, and, as evidenced by the fact that I'm still here, the American way of life. It's definitely a conundrum. I've never voted in my life, and during the last election, I felt very left out. I felt like I should have a say in what happens around me, but, yet, I had no right. I do want that right, but I don't feel like I should have to give up my own heritage to acquire that right. I don't think citizenship has to be a mutually exclusive thing. I have citizenship in two countries now, and I feel I am an amalgamism of those two countries. Adding America into the mix makes me a melting-pot of a person, which, I don't necessarily feel is a bad thing. So, I am both excited about this, and a little sad and apprehensive. But, I also feel that mixed feelings should accompany any major transition in life. If it were black and white, and easy, it wouldn't be a major transition.