I was born! Really I was!
I’ve never had need of the birth certificate before. I’ve thought of getting a copy just for the heck of it, but never got around to doing it. I may even get a passport now – just in case I decide to visit the British Isles.
At this point, I have no idea if my original birth certificate has also been lost under the care of the State Department. The acid test will come if I have to have a certified copy for a national U.S. ID. Thus far, renewing passports, etc., has not required showing a certified birth certificate once I showed it for the first time years ago.
But then again, if shove comes to push, the passport section of the U.S. Embassy would have a copy of my certified birth certificate as proof should it be lost from the birth certificate archives.
If push comes to shove? I've been living in Panama too long.