I got to vote today for the first time ever!  Long time readers know how difficult it was for me to obtain my citizenship.  Unfortunately, at the end of the day, it actually left quite a bad taste in my mouth regarding my newly adopted country.  Long story short, actually getting called to swear in as a citizen seemed to have a whole lot more to do with the fact that I happened to know someone who knew someone else quite high up in the Department of Homeland Security, as opposed to being welcomed with open arms by the country I've lived in for well over 20 years now.  Yes, that country - where I attended public schools and university, where I married a native born citizen and gave birth to another (practically in the shadow of the White House), where I've paid taxes and purchased homes and participated in my local communities.  That country really didn't seem to want me for a bit there.

At any rate, getting to vote!  Pretty cool!  A bit anti-climactic, as my local polling place was actually a cardboard set-up in a neighbor's garage, but apparently this is typical of California.  I was kind of hoping for a little more excitement - people trying to thrust pamphlets at me and get a last minute word in about their candidate or proposition.  Instead, I walked with mini-pear down a quiet suburban street and didn't notice until the very last minute that we were at the right driveway.

Comments

[Rebecca H.]

Congratulations on your first vote as a US Citizen!

[mum]

lets hope it's the deciding vote that tips the scale in the right direction!

[peardrop]

now we'll have someone to blame when it all goes pearshaped.