posted on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007 @ 14:34
so this saga begins with the fact we're going on a cruise in february and need passports. nana, however, never received a birth certificate. she's worked and paid taxes all her life, she's been drawing social security for years, but according to the state of louisiana she doesn't exist.
there was a big four-month long struggle just to get louisiana to say she never had a birth certificate, but it was finally over last week. mom took her to the post office this morning. nana got a notorized letter from her cousin gert who was there when she was born, her letter of no birth record from the state, her baptismal record, and her early school record. she goes to the post office, and the guy says she must have a census record from 1940.
first of all, i'd like to bet that asshole she's not on there. they lived IN THE MIDDLE OF FUCKING NOWHERE, which is why she doesn't have a birth certificate. they didn't have a street address, only a post office box in the next town over. this form is asking for the nearest [insert random location markers], but she doesn't fucking remember because it was 67 years ago.
secondly, the website says to bring "as many as possible," and does not indicate it is required. so i call the customer service number, and the guys says it's "recommended." i start talking about how the website doesn't say that, and no one she's spoken to in this whole process said it's required, only the documents she currently has. he keeps going on about how it's "recommended" and points me to the census bureau website for the form.
i ask him, "do you know how long it takes to get this record?"
"i don't know. i don't work for the census bureau."
"i'm aware of that. i didn't CALL the census bureau."
so i do one last-ditch effort and remind him, "the website only says
as many as possible. at this point it's not possible because we're
leaving soon. she's already waited four months for her letter of no
birth record."
"well it's recommended�"
"you know, all of you are full of shit. you should be ashamed you work
for this pathetic government."
don't forget to visit me in prison.