I drove out to Auburn for a citizenship ceremony this week. If you’ve never attended one, and I hadn’t before this, you’re probably imagining one of those momentous Australia Day citizenship ceremonies, with the PM and various outstanding Australians talking about what the country means to them.
Well this wasn’t like that. Despite it being a seriously life changing moment for many in this group of people from Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan and a host of other countries, it looked as though it couldn’t have been more boring for the dignitaries involved. The local MP, Laurie Ferguson, phoned in a mumbly speech – this is to an audience of non native English speakers – he projected boredom throughout the ceremony. Likewise, the mayor. The local reverend gave a sermon.
Fortunately, they were pretty much irrelevant when it came to meaning in this event. It’s a major milestone in the life of our good friend Jams, and it was pretty amazing to be there.
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