I just read the Yarn Harlot's July 1st post "Canada, eh?" and am busy reading the various comments by mostly Canadian and American knitters.  When Steph posted about Canada Day last year, an American wrote that Steph was a "terrible American, Canadian-wannabe" seemingly unaware that Steph is Canadian.  A lot of the comments from actual US Americans (as many people pointed out, everyone in North, Central and South America is an "American") have been along the lines that they really are "terrible American, Canadian-wannabe"s.

This got me thinking about being American/Irish.  Like many of those commentors, I'm ashamed to be a USAian(?).  I don't like (ok, I'm sick to my stomach) that our present administration approves torture, spies on its own citizens, and always plays the terrorism card to try and distract we the people from all their scandals.  Often, when I'm really upset with our government, I image escaping to Ireland.  The thing is tho' that I don't really want to leave Seattle, and the life and friends George & I have made here.  I like the thought of being able to leave if I must without being a refugee, but I really don't want to leave because of my government.

When George & I got engaged, we talked about me getting Irish citizenship after we were married the required number of years (in our case 3 years with no residency required) so that we could take 6-month contract jobs in the EU while leasing out our house in Seattle.  We're both in computers (George is a programmer) and jobs were plentiful at the time we were talking.  With an Irish passport I wouldn't have to worry about getting a work permit and we'd have time to explore an area while earning money.  Our plans always included returning to Seattle to our friends and sharing our adventures with them.

I don't really feel like an Irish citizen as I've never been in Ireland for longer than 3 weeks.  I know that if we did move to Dublin (that's where George's family and most of the jobs are), I'd suffer culture shock because I AM an American/USAian/USian in my thoughts and perceptions.  I grew up in Metro Los Angeles, California and live in Seattle, Washington.  I'm a left coast liberal and I think I do well at trying to see things from other people's points of view, but I have been formed as an American.  I expect certain things and am startled when they're not there or are different in some way.  Discovering these kinds of things while travelling is exciting and expands my horizons.  But as I found while living in Taiwan for 6 months in 1981, even the most open of minds can only take so much before culture shock hits.  And then hits again after one thinks one has adjusted.  Does it ever really go away if one is an expat?

My perfect solution would be for the Pacific Northwest to secede from the union and become Cascadia or whatever name you wish, with a liberal government that cares about its people.  That way I wouldn't have to leave my home and my friends if my present national government continues to slide into despotism.  What a pipe dream! <g>

This is long enough now.  I'll visit this topic again another day.