Greener Grasses

I’ve come of late to decide that what I want most out of life is peace and satisfaction. I have a wonderful wife, and three incredible children. I even have a new grand-baby. Though not quite fifty, I live a rather contented life. Next month marks the first anniversary of receiving a new heart. Even my writing is taking on deeper meaning. But there is still that one thing that evades me, peace.

Life in America is a roller coaster. We are swung to and fro with the winds of politics and public opinion. Our most recent political debacle of note shows the world how ignorant Americans are. The President was not even elected by the popular vote but rather the outdated electoral college. So the guy in charge is not supposed to be the one in charge. Go figure.

This has made me long for greener pastures, greener grasses. I want to live in a place where I am proud to be. I long for a place of peace and politeness. I long for a place that is not driven by the dogs of war. For Americans there is one place that answers all of these burning desires… Canada.

It is beautiful. It is clean. It is safe. They have universal health-care. They might pay higher taxes, but in all the research I’ve done, it is a wonderful place to live. The trouble is that you need several thousands of dollars to move there. You must have a marketable skill. You must be able to participate in society. I am a writer. It is my nature. I am a novelist by trade. While not yet a household name, I am working on it. I have that strike against me.

Another strike against me is my age. The legal cut-off age for immigration to Canada is 55. It can take a decade to gain citizenship. Unless something changes, and I can show that I can contribute then I am not to end up in Canada. What am I to do?

There is always South America, but we know all the horror stories about South American countries. Then there is Europe. I could settle in Great Britain and live quite comfortably, I am not sure about the society. So that leaves Norway, or Sweden, as the most likely places to “retire”. If not for the cold. Then again, I would have to contend with the cold in Canada. I can live with the cold.

Canada is so similar in atmosphere to the U.S. While it is a completely different country with it’s own norms, it is close enough to where I was born that I won;t feel an outcast.

My trouble remains that I have never felt that I belonged in the U.S. here by birth, but not by choice. If I could sell my citizenship and be allowed to immigrate elsewhere, I would gladly trade what the U.S. has to offer for nearly any other place in the world. I also have my family to consider. My two adult children can fend for themselves. It is my teenager that I concern myself with. Also, my wife. She is working toward her career, and I cannot take that from her.

So for now, I can dream of better places than here. I can look for greener grasses, and wish that someday I can fully retire away from this godforsaken country.