I Am Doing the Thing - Part One

It's been an interesting couple of weeks...

On the surface nothing appears different yet under the covers some foundational things are shifting for me.

On March 24th, 2023 I will officially become a citizen of the United States of America (USA).

Why Now?

I have held a "Green Card" since 2007 and over the years it has been like a passport renewal so I didn't think much about going through the naturalization process. The only two things I COULD NOT do was Vote and Jury Duty.

So....Why Now?

The short answer is..."It's just time to do it". Our kids have grown up here...we have spent most of our adult life here... and it's long over due to admit this is our home... it's time to fully participate. So many others in the world would love to be in the position we have almost "taken for granted" and it was time to take the last steps to make it official.

Observations from the Process

I am not sure most average Americans know or care all that someone immigrating into the country has to do. There are a lot of directions I could take on this topic and will leave them for another day. I will just say that as a Canadian... I am still subject to scrutiny no different than any other nationality (as it should be) and I took it seriously to prepare (as I should have) no matter the number of years I have lived here.

On top of all the background checks...finger prints...medical exams...and money...some of the things you are expected to know or assert to stood out for me...

Travel Outside the US in the Last 5 Years and Why. This may sound silly... but that was when I "gave up" on the process a couple of times over the years and opted to renew my green card instead. I was travelling internationally so much for work and pleasure that it seemed impossible to list it all out with the exact dates. Given the pandemic...this was the easiest time period I could itemize it.

Civics Test. You have to memorize the answers to 100 questions related to US Government and History (you only have to get 6 of 10 randomly selected questions right). I won't soon forget what year the Constitution was written...how many amendments there are or how many voting members there are in the House of Representatives. Do YOU know these off the top of your head?

Oaths. I had to assert and take numerous oaths on the application as well as during my interview last week. There is also 8 questions I have to certify between my interview and the naturalization ceremony. The one that made me smile because there was so much to unpack in one sentence was...

• Since your interview, have you practiced polygamy, received income from illegal gambling, been involved in prostitution, helped anyone enter the United States illegally, trafficked controlled substances, given false testimony to obtain immigration benefits, or been a habitual drunkard.

Can someone define "habitual drunkard"?.... asking for a friend!

In Closing...

No different than how I talk about my career path... my journey to this moment was not something I really planned but yet all seems to make sense.

Some things the two seem to have in common are...

• I took each opportunity and door that opened to find me in the place I am now
• I kept an open mind and worked hard to gain experience to earn the opportunity stay
• If it feels right...it is right
• I didn't let the past define me nor did I turn my back on it as I looked toward the future
• I don't take anything for granted and I know things can change that are outside of my control. I always have options
• I am grateful for those around me...that they support me and push me forward. It is people that make a difference
• Even though I didn't expect to stay as long as I did... I gave it a real chance...stepped outside of my comfort zone... and ended up being here longer than I thought possible. Most of my job opportunities over the years were exactly like that too!
• No different than each time I have left a company... there is a lot to process as I look to embrace my new citizenship. I may have thought about it for a while but these final steps into something new is daunting...emotional and exciting all at the same time

Next week is the Oath Ceremony. NO jeans...shorts or flip flops and I will have to be on my best behavior on this final mile since I already answered NO to all the "Since your interview" questions.

Wish me luck!

Leadership Questions of the Week for YOU:

• How often do YOU ask others about what is going on that YOU may not know about?
• How often do YOU think that our surface hides bigger changes that define us?
• Have YOU gone through the Naturalization Process? What are some of YOUR observations?
• If you are a citizen...try the link to the questions above and see how many of the 100 YOU can answer. It's an interesting exercise. Some are easier than others and curious how certain ones made the cut (i.e what is Benjamin Franklin famous for?)
• Have you ever lived in another country for an extended period of time? Would YOU make the leap to adopt their citizenship?
• What do YOU think of the similarities between our career path and this road to naturalization? Any others come to mind or that YOU would change?

Thanks for reading….and remember…YOU make a difference!

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