One major thing that happened when I was on the road touring last month: I became a raging supporter of Scottish Independence. I was pretty ambivalent before, though I always like the idea of sticking it to England (sorry, my English friends, that's just the American way!). I can't point to any one event or a particular epiphany -- I wasn't even watching Braveheart --, but when we crossed the border back into Scotland on March 19, I had one of those ridiculous patriotic moments.
My high school choir (Atherton Chamber Singers) used to take huge trips to perform. During my years at Atherton, the Chamber Singers traveled to Russia, Iceland, and New Zealand. I only went on the Iceland and NZ trips, but each time as we touched down back on US soil, the group of 24 rowdy and hormonal teenagers would burst into an eight-part a cappella version of "The Star-Spangled Banner," which brought cheers and tears from the rest of the airplane, making up for long-haul flights full of card games and loud, flirtatious behavior. I'm not exactly a USA-is-Number-One kind of girl, but I admit to feeling all Lee Greenwood during those moments.
Anyway, I wanted to sing "Scotland the Brave" when we crossed the border, but I was traveling with a Redcoat and didn't want to be rude.
David and I agree on most things politically, but this has become a source of contention. He thinks I'm insane. I think he's of English ancestry, ergo, just trying to keep the rest of us down. Or maybe that he grew up a white, protestant, male, and I grew up a half-Jewish, half-Catholic, redheaded woman -- obviously oppressed, right? (Kidding, folks, KIDDING!)
The Scottish friends I've surveyed on the Independence issue are divided pretty equally on the question, but I'm determined to do more research and have good talking points. So who are my Nationalist friends? I want to start going to the meetings.
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| Atherton Chamber Singers, 1996, Iceland Trip (I'm the one with the really long, curly, red hair, duh.) |
Anyway, I wanted to sing "Scotland the Brave" when we crossed the border, but I was traveling with a Redcoat and didn't want to be rude.
David and I agree on most things politically, but this has become a source of contention. He thinks I'm insane. I think he's of English ancestry, ergo, just trying to keep the rest of us down. Or maybe that he grew up a white, protestant, male, and I grew up a half-Jewish, half-Catholic, redheaded woman -- obviously oppressed, right? (Kidding, folks, KIDDING!)
The Scottish friends I've surveyed on the Independence issue are divided pretty equally on the question, but I'm determined to do more research and have good talking points. So who are my Nationalist friends? I want to start going to the meetings.
Like this blog? Follow The Red Accordion Diaries on Bloglovin.
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