Real ID

The EIU Business Office had trouble sharing my Social Security number with me, an odd security issue that requires our numbers be blacked out on our W2s. This actual x-ing out would go unnoticed if it weren’t for Illinois’s late in the game venture into Real ID territory. Yesterday I brought my packet of documents to the DMV and discovered my W2 was not in compliance. But today, armed with this new W2, a DMV manager quickly filled out the forms, took my picture and checked my eyes, and sent me on my way with a temporary ID that will serve as my Driver’s License for a month or so.

The other good news of the day was the late to the game switch made by the United Methodist Church. After years of wrangling with conservative parishes here in the US and in Africa, the church Bishops drafted an agreement they’ll vote on in May—and seems likely to pass. A NY Times article states, “In the months following [the contentious vote to tighten traditionalist doctrine], Bishop Harvey and 15 other church representatives came together in an informal committee that determined separation was `the best means to resolve our differences, allowing each part of the church to remain true to its theological understanding.’”

Other news is less optimistic. I did learn about the Kigali Accord—an amendment that will cut down on refrigerant CO2 emissions. But those 20 tree stumps still make my throat tighten every time I walk by them with the dog.

All of these event showcase my life. These are my Real ID.