yesterday, j became a full fledged british citizen. wandsworth council had a special ceremony, with the mayor and invited speakers. jonno stood and pledged his allegiance and loyalty to the queen. and watching this, you start out thinking how corny the whole thing is, and you’re impatient for the formalities to be over. but somewhere along the line, amongst the parade of beaming new citizens, amongst the snapshots and family applause… somewhere in there, you start to get an appreciation for what a big deal this really is. for jonno and most of my friends, citizenship is a convenience – you put in your requisite time living and working in the uk, and acquire a nice new passport to make your travels and lifestyle a little easier. but for some people, this is the fulfillment of a dream. this means something better for their children. this is something they’ve fought hard for, because it *matters*.

it’s a humbling reminder not to take one’s fortunes of birth for granted. not everyone is so lucky as me.

a few pics of the newest citizen.

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