Today’s the Day!
As one can see from my About the Author page, today is the day of my citizenship ceremony. While not excited at the prospect (years in the military makes anyone loathe pomp and circumstance), I will be very happy when it’s all said and done. And, to be fair, one of those big reasons is that being a naturally anxious person, I’m climbing the walls in antici… … … (say it say it say it) pation.
I don’t know how it’s all going to go, which feeds this ceiling-clinging conundrum. Oh sure, I know there will be speakers trying to convince me that all Brits are mega-patriotic (which will fall flat, ’cause erm… hi… from America, land of jingoism and pie), as well as oaths sworn to Queen and including/not including Deity as we see fit. I’m, frankly, not sure what this is supposed to be celebrating anyways – the crown getting thousands of pounds off of me in immigration costs? Having passed the World’s Easiest Factoid test? But then, I’ve always been British irregardless of paperwork. I’ve known it since I was a small child back in Texas, and moving here only reminded me that I was going to where I belonged, to where pretty much everyone knows I best belong. I guess that many don’t feel that way though, so this sort of stuff might just help them feel more fitted in… doesn’t mean I have to pretend to enjoy it.
Iunno, maybe I’ll magically feel different when it’s over… ha ha ha. Considering that I didn’t after immigrating, marriage, and motherhood (outside of coming to terms with my new body – yech! *laughs*), I’m not expecting much. I expect more annoyance and frustration at getting a British passport, getting my name changed stateside… then my work will be done on this one. Of course, I’ve still got to get my child’s second passport, and and and…
Ah well, at least I’ve got a post-ceremony lunch date with the husband to look forward to. Even if it’s just grabbing some McDonalds, it’ll be nice to have a few minutes to ourselves. *grins*
I think that ceremony is only done for the reason that they’ve happened for thousands of years – many people psychologically like to mark the transition from one state to another, whether that be from childhood to adult (bar mitzvah, 18/21 birthday party), first home owning (housewarming), mid-winter, marriage, death etc etc etc. It doesn’t make any difference to any of us as regards our day to day living, but to mark the transition means a lot to a great majority of people and makes it feel complete. Even if you dislike the occasion, I think that you can agree about it feeling completed (regardless of acquisition of passport)?
Don’t feel a lick different; I have never found satisfaction with these markings of time. But then, I also admit that I live in a state where I don’t tend to process or connect to emotions outside of random fits and spurts at ridiculously inopportune times; I didn’t start having panicky realizations I was in the Air Force until I was about four years in, for example. I’m aware this isn’t exactly healthy, but it’s the closest thing I have to a day-to-day coping mechanism without resorting to heavy drug use again. 🙂
Maybe the word feel was the wrong one – you are now British citizen and the end of process was marked, so that you know when the NOW point is?
Nope. Still way too much paperwork crap to do both here and in the States.
While I still remember from last night – Neil suggested it’ll hit home once an election occurs. I’ll go with that – I do love me some voting. ^_^
Incidentally – you have a holiday weekend around your wedding anniversary – is that not a marking of time thing too?
That’s just a convenient point to take our one holiday a year. I guess I don’t think of it as significant as ‘Valid excuse to ditch the kid and get the hell out of dodge’, where as it wouldn’t be significant enough any other time of the year to make the same sort of request. Past that… not really much I can say? 🙂