Years ago, living in Massachusetts, I went to get a new official Massachusetts driver license. It all went well, I showed my current Idaho license, paid my (exorbitant) fee and brought along my other documents. Then, I went to take my Idaho driver’s license back from the clerk and the woman snatched it out of my hands. It seems that I had to surrender my current license to get the new one. There would be no holding on to this half-profile under-21 snapshot of my life. So I let it go.
When I went to renew my Oregon driver license I remembered that incident and took a picture of my old one before I went inside. Above you can see my first license in Oregon. When I got it, I was astounded that I didn’t have to renew it for eight years. “Eight years!” I exclaimed to more than one person. “I’ll be 35!” I didn’t mean, as many people assumed, that 35 was so old, just that it was so far away from where I was at that point. Eight years was a very long time.
And now those eight years have elapsed. I’ve lived in four different homes/apartments in my time here and I’ve gotten rid of that striped turtleneck and jean jumper. My hair has gone through many incantations and my weight isn’t what it says there. However, it wasn’t when I got the license, either. I’ve had three jobs and one boyfriend and a host of friends. It’s been a good eight years, and I wanted to keep a memory of my first Oregon driver license. According to this calculator (http://www.livingto100.com/) I have about seven more Oregon Driver Licenses in my future.
And guess what? After they had done all the paperwork for my new license, they punched holes in this one and gave it back to me. So I have it anyway.
