3/9/22 Gold Star Citizen

 Gold Star Citizen

        “Are you here to become a Gold Star Citizen?” the lady at the counter asked.

“Yes I am,” I replied.

“Well if you would just follow me, I will take you to your associate’s office where you can discuss all the details,” she said, with an eerily happy tone.

I walk and follow the lady back into the large office building. We stop at a dark brown door and she opens it. A friendly looking guy sits behind a desk. As he notices his door being opened he looks over at us, “Ah you must be my three o clock. Please come in and sit down,” he says, gesturing at a chair on the other side of the desk. I smile and sit down as he returns to his seat. 

“So I heard you were interested in becoming a Gold Star Citizen?”

“Um yes I am,” I say almost hesitantly, feeling a weird sense of shame.

“Wonderful, wonderful, and what drove you to make the decision to hop into Gold Star-dom?”

“Well when I realized I finally met the qualifications I wanted to give it a go. Some of the benefits sounded nice, especially the discounts on basically everything anywhere I go,” I reply honestly.

“Hm yes,” the man says with a hint of disappointment. “Those things are very nice I admit, but we don’t like to think about it that way here. We prefer to see the Golden Stars as role models for communities, those people who worked hard enough to become a Golden Star so that they can inspire others to do the same.”

I stare blank faced at the man, “Well sir, that is not how most people see it. I got really lucky to be in the position I am, I never thought I’d be able to apply for Gold Star Citizen. There are a lot of people working so hard everyday who have no chance at even getting close. They aren’t exactly inspired by the Golden Stars, they envy them and resent them, knowing that they are where they are because life handed it to them on a silver platter.”

As I continue to talk I can see the man growing more and more annoyed and frustrated. Knowing that he needs to hear this I continue to speak my mind, “I haven’t really looked too kindly upon the Gold Star Citizens but I wanted to apply so I could use my wealth to help those who need it. I honestly think more Gold Stars should be doing the same, or maybe give people the benefits of a Gold Star Citizen based on how hard they actually work, and not just how lucky they got to be wealthy and stable enough to apply,” I take a deep breath to keep from exploding completely.

“I see,” the man says with a clenched jaw. 

“Sorry, now that I got all that off my chest, can we talk about my application?”

“I don’t know if we can accept an application from you at this time,” the man says sternly?

“Oh why not?” I say almost sarcastically, “I am just as well off as other Golden Stars around here, I have proven to be a suitable member of society, never been in any major trouble in my life. So why can’t I become a Gold Star Citizen as well? Because I have a different opinion of it than you do?”

The man drops his professional tone, “I think you know exactly why I will not accept your application” he quickly returns to the professional tone, “Now if you could please leave the building that would be greatly appreciated,” he says with an obviously forced smile.

I quietly stand up, not wanting to cause a big scene, “Thank you for your time sir, I’m sorry it did not go the way you intended,” I say, mocking his professional manner. I walk out of the office then out the front door of the building. 

I am not disappointed, I knew that I would not be walking out of there as a Gold Star Citizen. My only hope is that my words somehow touch that man, in a way that he can’t avoid, that nagging voice that always comes to his head, making him wonder if he is doing the right thing. I hope my words now hold that power over him, for the words belong not only to me, but to the millions of “Normal Citizens” across the world.

The End

3/9/22