February 11, 2011

[From my journals]

Last night's 30 Rock created a crisis of loyalty in me by being both Canada- and North Carolina-themed. Liz Lemon has a relationship crisis while on a flight to Raleigh for the weekend, while Jack and his neo-con beloved are on a romantic, pre-parenthood weekend getaway to Toronto when she goes into labour. They are faced with the horrific possibility that their daughter might be born a Canadian, and as a result she would never be President ("As absurd as that sentence sounds").

Then (of course) I had a bit of a panic attack upon realizing that any (totally hypothetical) child I had here would be unable to become President. (I might need to start working on my anxiety problem.) Citizenship shouldn't be a problem for wee Hypothetical S. Pine, but I would never forgive myself if I kept little Hypo out of the White House right out of the gate.

I've talked from time to time with Canadian friends about how distinctly American the ubiquity of the "When I grow up, I'll be the President" childhood dream is. Apparently few children in Canada dream publicly of becoming Prime Minister. I'm intrigued by why this is.

Interestingly enough, to be Prime Minister of Canada, one only needs to be a citizen of Canada, not a natural born Canadian. Could little Hypo be the politician to become President AND Prime Minister? Could I?

Only time will tell.