Laughter

I am presently in what feels like a no-man's land as I muddle through the red-tape and bureaucracy of my application for temporary residency in a country which is different from that of my birth.

I am amazed as I consider how lines that have been drawn on paper representations of the Earth have come to be recognized as borders -- national, political and religious -- and how, for each citizen of this planet, one is considered to be either "in" or "out," depending on what is written in other paper and electronic documents (passports, visas, travel itineraries, etc.) which track one's movement within and without those lines.

It is simply astonishing.

It is also a downright tiresome experience. I am certain that many of you who read this can relate to some degree; for anyone who has had to move or work abroad, either by choice or force, you know how exhaustive is the experience and how vulnerable it can make one feel.

Just this morning I made my way to Immigration for the umpteenth time, with all required documents in hand, all smiles in hopeful anticipation of finally having obtained all the necessary components for submission of my application for a temporary residency in a particular country in Latin America. On each prior trip to Immigration with the same intent, I was informed that my ever-growing folder of documents did not meet all requirements and, therefore, would not be accepted. Each time a different official informed me that I must make changes a, b and c and THEN resubmit my application -- only each time we received instructions, from Immigration Officials themselves, the nominal rules of the game were changed.

Today was no different.

I must admit that I've shed not a few tears throughout this whole ordeal -- tears of impotence, of frustration, of having entered an unjust system and being utterly at the mercy of immigration officials who, through all their explanations of contradictory "requirements" and procedures, are equally disinterested in any given person's situation or in improving the immigration process.

Really, at the state it's in from what I can see, it would be difficult NOT to improve.

The most frustrating of all is that nobody is willing to give you a list of all these "requirements of Immigration" -- not in writing, not a photocopy, not a link for the internet, not even written down for one to look at. They have the "old requirements," of course; but those only worked for the old system, apparently.

And so today, upon leaving Immigration yet again, without having been permitted to submit my application for temporary residency, yet again, instead of crying, I laughed. I laughed! This whole process has become somewhat comical; either that, or I've begun to lose my mind. And I realized that, really, all I can do is be patient. Keep moving forward. Ask questions. Be kind, yet persistent.

And laugh. I think perhaps it really is the best medicine.