the path

On March 27, 1997, at the age of sixteen and after fourteen years of residency I became a naturalized citizen of the United States. At that time I was sworn in and forced to renounce my natural born British citizenship. That annoyed me, but I didn’t have much of a choice. Since then I’ve obtained a US passport in preparation for international travel but alas, I have yet to go anywhere outside of the country.

So with the formulation of the European Union (EU), I see a great number of advantages of retaining my British citizenship (even though I had to renounce it in from the US INS official). Two great possibilities emerge from this: (1) I can live wherever I want so long as the nation is a member of the EU, and (2) I can work freely without too much hassle in any EU country. Recently, I’ve really wanted this opportunity to perhaps study in a European country or even live somewhere new before beginning my “real life.” Furthermore, if the US keeps upsetting every foreign country it might not be a bad idea to travel under British rule because some place just don’t like Americans. So in my quest to assure I’ll be able to I went on a UK passport information finding hunt. What I’ve found makes it all kinds of difficult unless I’m actually in England. Despite needing to be there, I need to furnish my birth certificate and other documents. The birth certificate is easy but I don’t have a UK medical card or driver’s license, and forget about me having a National Insurance card. I did find out that I am an official British Citizen by birthright since I was a citizen prior to December 31, 1982.

One crazy requirement can also imposed on the applicant and his (and I say his because being male apparently has an advantage) family. If one was born after January 1, 1983, a person cannot claim citizenship from one’s mother, but is it ok to claim it from one’s father? I don’t get it.

A few days ago I wanted to explore a thought I had about true versus romantic love. Right now I could just as easily copy and paste those words but the irony is I don’t have the authority to comment on any definition of love. I’ve gone from as a senior in high school with Kari telling me that I’m completely incapable of feeling anything for anyone to looking back at what a fool I must have been standing in the Christmas Day snow in my socks. Thinking from anyone else’s shoes, that last sentence doesn’t make any sense. That’s the beauty of it — it doesn’t need to. My definition is probably too naïve, or too idealistic to be real.

The more I grow, the more I become the same. The same patterns, thoughts, actions, friends — all alike. I’ve wondered how I end up where I do and I don’t have an answer. I suppose it’s because I let it happen. To some degree on purpose, and the rest subconsciously. It doesn’t matter because all it does is frustrate me and for no good reason. I always think, “this isn’t me.” But… it is. Every time I reach this point I make decisions and I never ultimately follow through with them because I eventually forget why it is that the decisions were made in the first place.

Even though I haven’t added anything at all in the past week, I have a few ideas swimming in my head. I’ll touch on them as soon as I can.. most likely Thursday night or Friday. Some things I want to discuss are the apparently two kinds of love I heard about on the radio today — romantic and true love — and to what extent they both exist and fade. The other stuff is simply random thoughts that have made it to paper.

I need to get back to my work, more to be read later.

I don’t know if it’s because I follow these teams or not, but to me it seems strange that the two head coaches of my favorite teams (Miami Dolphins and Florida Gators) has been dismissed midway through the season. Following two and a half mediocre seasons Ron Zook was terminated and this afternoon Dave Wannstedt of the Dolphins is expected to tender his resignation. Who is supposed to fill the openings? Both teams, at some point or another, have had their sights set on the replacement — Steve Spurrier.