Good to See You!

It is completely amazing to see what events bring people together.

Wild Rose Casino and Resort held their job fair last week, and just like everyone else in our county, I went and waited, and waited, and waited to get a quick mini-interview with Wild Rose. For some the waiting was difficult, especially since it was taking about three hours on the first day of the job fair to be interviewed.

For me, the waiting was almost like a blessing. I got to chat with my cousin and his friend for a while. Then, I spotted my high school history teacher that I had not seen since I graduated over fifteen years ago (has it been that long?) at another table. I couldn't believe it! He was one of the most fun (or is it fun-est?) teachers I had in high school, and he was even my driver's ed teacher, so that does say a lot for the guy. I can still hear him sing the War of 1812 tune, and imagine him flipping his pen on his podium.

After exchanging mini-summaries of our past fifteen years, I had to tell him about how I had completed some assignments he had given to us as graduating seniors.

I remember my senior year in his class, he mentioned several things we should do in our lifetime, if we got the chance. The first one I remember was, if we were ever in Washington D.C., to make the time to see the Constitution in person. He really stressed the importance of this document that gave us the freedoms that make all other countries envious. Check, did that. (The thing that amazed me was the amount of mistakes in the Constitution, but then again they didn't have computers and spell check back then.)

The other thing he mentioned that we should do if given the opportunity, was to see someone become a citizen of the United States. Again, he had emphasized how advantaged (is that the right word?) we are as United States citizens. Something that we too quickly take for granted in our daily lives.

My friend from Mexico had waited over eight years to become a US citizen when I attended the ceremony that made him an official citizen. Sure, it was a special day, but I was surprised how little fanfare there was in the ceremony. Basically, they squeezed about fifty participants, plus their supporters, family and friends into a room at the immigration and naturalization office, much smaller than the business classroom at my old high school, and went through the motions. I think they had a state legislator speak at the ceremony, which beyond my friend getting his certificate of citizenship, was the highlight of the ceremony. Yet, I still felt a sense of pride that these people will now get to share the wonderful freedoms, rights and responsibilities of being a citizen of the United States of America. Those same freedoms that I have enjoyed from day one.

I also saw many friends and acquaintances at my three hour wait at the Wild Rose job fair. We got to sit and chat, and catch up on each other's lives. It's not very often that we get such a unique chance to be with others in the community and the surrounding areas.