Congratulations Lili

Lili is a buddy.   Today she is going to take the pledge to become an official American Citizen.  She has been living here for years and her three children all have dual citizenship.  Lili is from Switzerland tu.  ( I say tu, not too, because that is how Lili says that word.)  She will laugh.

I take my citizenship for granted on any given day.  Lili had to take a test and an interview prior to taking the pledge. I don’t think I would pass right off.  She took the test a while back and passed with flying colors.    Today, because of the date I am sure, she will take the pledge in Montpelier at the Statehouse.    I might be able to make it this morning.  I am taking the GRE’s mid day in Burlington, so it will be a bit of a pinch.

I need the GRE to officially apply for the master’s program in Public Administration.  Why they won’t take my scores from 25 years ago is beyond me.  Bastards.  I also need to get the application done this semester because UVM will only take 3 classes as a non-status student to transfer in, and after this fall’s class, I have reached my limit.   Part of the benefits included in my work for UVM Extension is the tuition remission for all classes.  HUGE opportunity to take advantage of.

Both of us are on the paths we are supposed to be on today.

An opportunity to become a citizen is something that I doubt most of us think about.  Those of us who are born here take our freedoms for granted.  We complain about our taxes, our government, our elected officials sometimes with the same fever pitch as when we watch a sports game.   We are free to question and sometimes encouraged to be critical of those that are running the government. Part of being an American is to always be free to change what we don’t think is fair or right.  Freedom is messy business.

When most Americans are asked where they are from the question tends to mean ‘what is your heritage’. I know few true Native Americans, but when asked, most folks will claim their heritage as ” I’m Irish” or ” I’m Italian”,  when what they mean to say is, my people came to America from such and such a place. I have English and German roots.

But I am American.  Lili as always said, ” I’m Swiss” but after today, I hope that she will proudly say,  “I’m American”  when she is asked.   Big step for her and we are lucky that one as good as she is joining us today.