The Joys of Government Service

Today I went to the Regsiter of Motor Vehicles today, foolishly believing that I was completely prepared to prove that Arkansas didn't screw up and I am who I really say I am. But alas, it turns out they say they want four documents that can verify your name, residency, birthday, and signature, it means they want one for each of those catergories - sorry, no double dipping. So although my driver's license clearly had my signature and birthdate, it could only be used for one. Although my lease has my name on it, it didn't have my signature ( my landlord has my signed copy) therefore it wasn't valid. Did I have a checkbook with my address? Of course, just not with me at the time. I wasn't sure why my checkbook was more valid than my lease, but whatever. I tried to be polite to the RMV lady, but the idiocy of the whole system made me furious. As Taylor walked me to the car, and I was shouting about the stupidity of beaucracies and scaring young children.

Still seething, I then went to work at the Pharmacy in Brooks. And there, I recieved back just what I gave. The funny thing about insurance cards, if you have to have them with you if you want to use insurance to pay for your meds. I delt with demanding customers all night long, who, in the words of one pharmacist, "only their meds now, and free ... what's wrong with that?"

I was about to complain about this as well, when it struck me that the lady at the RMV was probably as frustrated by me as I was by my customers at the pharmacy. That's when I realized that all customers are stupid. Including myself.

But seriously, I think God might have been trying to teach me a lesson. The first is that I am not always in the right in every situation. The second, is that I might get frustrated by my government, but at least I live with a government that allows me to write about this in a public forum, unlike in China where the Internet is screened. At least I have the oppurtunity to drive, unlike in many Middle Eastern countries where women are denied that priviledge. So it may be stupid, but it's a whole lot better than others out there, and I have the oppurtunty help make a change by being allowed to vote. Which I'll do, as soon as I get my voter's registration taken care of, which will happen when I collect four forms of ID. Which will happen with the State of Texas gets around to mailing me a copy of my marriage license. And thus the cycle continues. But not how I react.