Things we take for granted

[wombat_socho]

In an attempt to build a little morale and team spirit here in the corner of the Evil Banking Neighbor that I occupy during business hours, the employees got management to agree to set aside one of the conference rooms for a lunch hour once a month, and today was the first such day. There was a celebratory mood not just on account of that, but also because C. had been sworn in as a U.S. citizen yesterday and we'd decided that we should throw him a small party and celebrate.

It was well worth celebrating. C. came here ten years ago fleeing the bloody chaos of the Liberian civil war, and has been working hard to pass the exam and qualify for citizenship ever since. He's pretty pumped about having finally made it, and I can't say that I blame him. For all its warts and other defects, this is still the best place in the world to live for many reasons...the world is full of places people are dying to escape, but there aren't too many countries people are dying to come to. C. is triply happy, because now his teenage daughter qualifies for citizenship, and his wife gets her case expedited as well. I was surprised when I heard that he wasn't a citizen, and more so when it turned out that three other people in the section were also immigrants. You work with people for years, and have no idea. Wow.

Comments

[qob.livejournal.com]

congrats to C! It's so easy in our criticism of America to forget that despite all it's flaws, people are busting their hump to get here and build better lives for themselves.