Some days something happens which changes our lives forever, even if in that moment we are unaware of what the consequences will be. Sometimes that change will happen consciously, being planned and prepared for. Other times life just throws them upon us unexpectedly and possibly, in that moment, unwelcome as well. But come what may, our life is never the same again.

I can bookmark a couple of episodes in my life,

  • my uncle loaning me an early desktop computer from work when I was in my teens,
  • throwing a pack on my back and heading off to see the world,
  • moving into a Buddhist community,
  • getting married and moving to the United States…,

…and each one of them had their own micro life changing moments. They were all moments when I crossed a threshold into a new and different reality, where something inside of me shifted. There and then? Maybe not or if so, I wasn’t aware of it at the time. However I can look back years and decades later and see where the change happened. I can bookmark that moment as when it started.

Last week such moment occurred again in my life. I became a United States citizen. I had been quiet in the build up to the interview and Oath ceremony, both to friends and those in my online communities. In part this was probably through superstition; I didn’t want to jinx the day - I had to pass the interview and until I did, the Oath ceremony was not a given. I’ve noticed that this is my way in general of handling difficult or uncertain situations - I go to ground for a period of time. So for some I disappeared for a few weeks while I prepared for the day. I even paused my newsletter for the end of March as I could not focus clearly on what I wanted to say. Hopefully I’ll resume them at the end of April.

So, what next? “I don’t know,” is the simple answer. On the surface nothing will change. I’ll now apply for my US passport and register my new right to vote, but beyond that I have no plans. It was simply a decision that I made based on my life circumstances. I will check or look back in years to come and notice what emerged from this threshold.