The opening of this piece made me cringe so hard, lol. I wonder how old that guy from Maine was. I hope no older than maybe 22 or 23. I can understand those sorts of questions coming from someone that young or younger. It’s much harder to excuse when they’re in their thirties, forties or fifties.
What really strikes me about your life story thus far is how you’ve managed to assimilate to American life without sacrificing your sense of personal identity. That’s really commendable. You obviously know how to “go along to get along,” but it seems to me that you’re still in control of your identity and refuse to forfeit it under any circumstances. As far as I’m concerned, that kind of uncompromising independence makes you more American than a lot of the self-styled “patriots” I’ve met over the years. At least, that’s what I was thinking as I was reading this.
“So, where do I really go? I have realized you can’t embrace two countries wholeheartedly. You are either the citizen of one, or the other. No matter how comfortable each one makes you, you have to choose. If you don’t, you’re left with no home at all.”
This is a really interesting observation. I’ve lived in America all my life, so I can’t relate to it, but I’ve heard similar things from someone I know who grew up in Texas and now lives in China. She wasn’t planning to stay there this long, but she admitted to me that she felt like she was being “forced to choose” between America and China, so she decided to remain there for a while longer until she knows for sure where she wants to be. My guess is she’ll stay there as long as she’s legally allowed to.
But was it a difficult choice for you to make? Did you hesitate at all when you decided to remain here, or was it one of those things that sort of happened naturally and you decided to just roll with it?
“So whatever else may come, I may just turn out okay, especially more so now, since my knowledge of the Kardashians are finally up to date, and that alone should definitely help me reach somewhere pivotal in life.”
Frankly, I’d say you’ve already “turned out okay.” You have a good head on your shoulders, have learned a lot about how to navigate unfamiliar situations, and exhibit a degree of self-awareness that a lot of older folks never manage to attain. You should seriously be proud of yourself!
