The Citizenship Test

I have just written my Canadian citizenship test. It was nerve wracking, I thought that I had it down pat. I studied hard and friends tested me. But with questions like “which province is bigger? Prince Edward Island or New Brunswick? I was stumped.

Now I have to wait two to three months to find out if I have passed and if they want me or not. I have only waited 21 years for this, I guess a little while longer won’t hurt. I do love living here in British Columbia, Canada. There is so much life offered here. New Yorkers may be proud to be New Yorkers but I am very proud to be a Vancouverite. With our picturesque mountains, our many parks and the water all around us giving us an island feel. There are many fantastic restaurants , theaters, movies houses and live band shows. All the famous people who come here to make T.V series and movies love it and there is always someone or something to see. Even when it rains here it is still beautiful, we nearly always get a rainbow.

The amount of snow we get on the ground, is just enough for the kids to have fun and to make the world look serene. There is also a lot of snow on the mountains that avid skiers and snowboarders can enjoy for many good months. It was good enough for the royal boys William and Henry and their dad to enjoy; I believe they are coming back again to us.

If you have read any of my past articles you will see that colour is very important to me. It is my world, the colour of people’s personalities, the colour of their worlds and their choice of colours in their wardrobes. I find colour makes very loud statements about life and people. We refer to events in a colourful way, or we state that it is gloomy or gray. A person is often referred to as having a very dark side to them, or she is a colourful person. I think when we are sad or our lives are in doubt, we should think colourfully. Gods knows that all our colours have and are been tested since Sept 11th.

It was a very dark day that has brought around some very negative feelings, and some real fear. I feel that at this time we all should inject a little colour into our lives. Think colorfully, wear vibrant colours, and surround ourselves with colour that lifts our spirits. When we feel better about ourselves we help others to feel better about things too. A lot of colour is needed to get us through these anxious days. We are constantly hearing about the end of things, war hate, and loathing. It is up to us to, every one of us to believe in life, live it share it, inspire it and demand that our leaders inspire life in us.

Just as the terrorist were sneaky, so should our governments be. Quietly, quickly take care of business. Stop shouting about it, shut up and let the experts do it. We as prosperous societies should start helping other nations that are living under cruel regimes to get out of their situation. As long as we are secure in our own lives, and the problems of others are so far away, why should we care right? Wrong. Because we have not cared nor understood, we are in this predicament now. The only thing western society is scared of, is losing its comfort zone.

Understanding the suffering and every day misery that some other cultures go through every single day, is so far beyond most people’s understanding here. Some people would rather paint people with a different political and religious set of beliefs all as bad and evil, but this is Canada, where everyone of every creed is welcome. OK people need to leave their grievances behind when they come here and some forget to do that, but that is the theory. We are here as guests, to begin again.

Be positive, add some light into your lives and look to how you can make a difference in theirs. Sometimes just acknowledging that there is a problem and not judging anyone can make a huge difference.

Carol King used to sing“ You’ve got to get every morning with a song in you’re heart and show the world all the love in your heart” something like that anyway. Thinking colourful is thinking positive, and thinking positive is to generate love and understanding.

I wish you all a very colourful and positive life, and please get rid of fear and embrace knowledge and understanding and the ability to make a difference.

Written 2001 by Sara Troy

Update now 2014 I have been here 34 years and loving it. (now 35)

For a show on it go to. -ask-sara-about-34-years-in-canada/

My choice to become a citizen english-pride-prejudice/