I wondered how my walk was going to be different from yesterday. I was on the same 'Old Road Bridge', and I was sauntering along the same old path as before. The Swallows were still around too - still skimming across the water, and still far too quick to photograph! A few Gulls were flying about as well. It was fun arching my head and my arm, in an attempt to capture them with my camera - 'Gulls on the air'. I found them to be a little bit easier than the Swallows, at least. The riverside is a perfect habitat for insects. There was an abundance of them (as usual!), and an enormous Bumble Bee flew passed me. It is always a pleasure to see a Bumble Bee, as I know their numbers have been struggling of late, and their population has been falling. He definitely wasn't stopping for anyone, this one, and definitely not for me to take a picture (a 'busy bee', to use a cliche!). I only wish I'd had some fore-thought, and tried to take a video instead. I'll know for next time. The wonderful thing about being out in nature is that you're always learning - every time is a learning experience. My wild walk home had become something new and different, without me even thinking about it. Amazing!
'Day Two' I wondered how my walk was going to be different from yesterday. I was on the same 'Old Road Bridge', and I was sauntering along the same old path as before. The Swallows were still around too - still skimming across the water, and still far too quick to photograph! A few Gulls were flying about as well. It was fun arching my head and my arm, in an attempt to capture them with my camera - 'Gulls on the air'. I found them to be a little bit easier than the Swallows, at least. The riverside is a perfect habitat for insects. There was an abundance of them (as usual!), and an enormous Bumble Bee flew passed me. It is always a pleasure to see a Bumble Bee, as I know their numbers have been struggling of late, and their population has been falling. He definitely wasn't stopping for anyone, this one, and definitely not for me to take a picture (a 'busy bee', to use a cliche!). I only wish I'd had some fore-thought, and tried to take a video instead. I'll know for next time. The wonderful thing about being out in nature is that you're always learning - every time is a learning experience. My wild walk home had become something new and different, without me even thinking about it. Amazing! The weather has been rather strange of late, and looking upwards, I could see this reflected in the sky. There were white clouds, and clear patches of blue, and the Sun was shining brightly through other spots. In other areas, there were rolling storm clouds of dark grey, unfurling over the landscape. It was all a pattern, one that I noticed as I continued my walk. Part of the gravel path was soaked from recent rain, while a section further along was much drier (if not completely dry). I decided to go a little off the beaten path today, and take a journey across the grass. Some of this route was water-logged, mushy and muddy, beneath my feet. Other parts were baked in the heat of the evening Sun. Those contrasts again. A group of Blackbirds were foraging on the ground ahead of me. They reacted immediately to my sudden presence, and moved slightly further away. I turned my focus on one particular Blackbird, the one that was closest to me. He was foraging quite intensely, stabbing his beak, back and forth, through the grass-blades, and into the soil. At the same time, he was always alert to his surroundings. He cocked his ears, to the 'sounds on the air', with his eyes piercing, and searching around him, and when he seemed to feel a possible threat, he trotted quickly away. A Blackbird forgaging and listening, looking and reacting. Walking across the same foot-bridge as yesterday, I spotted a Wood Pigeon perched in a small tree. Every so often, this tree would sway, and the Pigeon would adjust it's position in response. It was fun to watch - a relatively large bird trying to remain steady, on quite a flimsy branch! I've always found Wood Pigeons to be comical birds to observe. I mean that in an entirely good way, and not a disrespectful one, as 'comical moments' in the natural world are still a wonder to behold. The moment I started taking a video, of course, the Pigeon flew off ( that always seems to be my luck!). I did get plenty of photos though. I have always marvelled at how beautifully a Pigeon will unfold it's wings and tail-fin, in preparation for flight, having had them so neatly tucked away. How often the beauty of nature can be subtle like that, and so rewarding, all at once. Truly wonderful! By the time I was on the old railway-line, the darkness of the clouds was closing in around me, and a chilly breeze was sweeping passed my face. It was going to rain. Indeed, it did start to rain. Not for as long as I thought it would (and not as heavy either), but the rain drops were there, splashing against my hat (quickly adorned, I might add!), and the water ran gently down my hands. I don't mind the rain at all, especially not on my way home, and the birdsong afterwards is often a striking cacophony. I stood for a moment, and watched reflections in a puddle, formed by an earlier downpour. There was the pitter-patter and ripples, as new rain hit and swirled through its surface. I decided that 'Day Two' was over. It was time to go home. I have been making a number of observations during my walks. I use only my five senses, and my thoughts (the ability of the human mind), along with my 'sixth sense' of personal intuition - an intuition that I have come to trust and value. We see older birds courting and younger chicks born. Green leaves blossom, and grow on the trees, eventually turning burnt orange and brown, and withering and dying. Nothing can be eternal, but new life can form. Young chicks grow into adult birds, they court each other and mate, and they create new life for the world. In cycle. Nature is a perpetual cycle of life and death, and a cycle of many contrasts. Parts of contrast make up the mosaic of the whole - the whole that is nature. The whole that is the natural world.
0 Comments
The Wildlife Trust is running an amazing challenge during June 2015 - it is called 30 Days Wild, and it is about reconnecting with nature. We are a part of nature, yet we have become far too distant from it. Getting closer to nature and the natural world, and taking better care of it and the environment, can help to make us calmer, healthier, and better people. It is a step in the right direction. 30 Days Wild is such a worthwhile part of that, and I am overjoyed to support it. I have been feeling for a long time now, that humanity needs to reconnect with nature I am going wild for the month of June (and longer!), and I am getting involved with nature - whatever the weather!. I know I'm wild already (not in that way!), but you can always do more. You can always learn. '30 Days Wild' I've always been wild, but I'm striving to be even wilder. Nature matters - it is one thing that is essential to all of us, wherever we are in the world, and whoever we happen to be. It's important to you, even if you don't yet realise it. And if you don't, it's about time that you did - before it really is too late. If I've had a long tiring day, or something bad has happened, or something is getting to me (and, in some cases, depressing me), it is inevitably nature that calms me down. Nature reassures me, and re-awakens my soul for tomorrow. There is a spiritual force that connects the natural world to you, and the more that you embrace it, the more that you can feel it, and the more that you will benefit from it. Have you ever 'hugged' a tree? There's no easy way for me to explain it, but 'hugging' a tree is one of the best ways to really feel that spiritual force. I'm sure that someone else will have another way to describe that idea, or may even disagree with it entirely, but I can only describe my own experience, in my own way. It's all any of us can do. 'The River' It must have been a couple of years ago now, that I first started walking home from work along by the river where I live. Not every day, but whenever I can. The river runs through the centre of town, and it's a wildlife habitat we're very lucky to have. One we should never take for granted. I've seen many animals in my time - Wrens, Swans, a resident Heron (which flies up and down fishing - I saw it catch an Eel once!), and even a family of Otters (although that was only the once). I suppose a lot of my 30 Days Wild will be undertaken along this river (I'll make room for other 'random wildness' where I can, work and time permitting), but it's worth noting that getting out into nature is what is most important - even in the same place, you always have a new and wonderful experience in nature (I know that I always do). 'Day One' I stepped onto the 'Old Road Bridge' in the centre of town, and the first animals that I came across were two Black Headed Gulls, perched on the bridges' stone edge. I took a quick photo with my camera, and they quickly flew away, down over the river, as I walked passed. I carried down onto the path that lies 'between the bridges' and walked under the 'New Road Bridge', continuing alongside the flowing water, and towards the direction of home. A male Mallard was sitting amongst a bit of vegetation on the river, as though he was oblivious to the rapid current. A few steps more, and I stopped in my stride. Swallows were fleeting and twisting, and turning in the air, catching (I imagine) an abundance of insects. I have to say - they are wonderful, and hypnotic, to watch as you turn your head to follow them. What a sight! They are so very fast, and so impossible to photograph. I must try again later, when I have more time, and much more patience! I carried on along the gravel path, thinking about the breathtaking wonder of nature all around me. I paused on a foot-bridge, to take a picture over the river, and saw yet more Swallows, flying beneathe my feet. Making my way further homeward, I stopped to listen to the river gushing, at one of my favourite spots. Nearby trees and bushes were creaking eerily in the wind, and a melody of birdsong washed over me. It was overcast and cold, but there were plenty of dog walkers about, and it was a pleasant place to be. I rose up onto the 'Old Railway Bridge' (now part of a walkway and cycle route). Between the two verges of the old rail-track, a female (or very young male) Blackbird landed, something clutched in its beak. It dropped it, and then picked it up again, flying a bit further away from me. It was obviously startled by my presence. I gave it plently of space and respect, allowing it to move into the undergrowth with its' food. I have a simple belief - if you take the time to respect nature, then nature will respect you. I made my way down off the old railway, and onto the street, the final stage of my journey home. Rooks and Crows were cawing, and gathering in the sky, to roost in the trees for the coming night. The evening was chilly and darkening, the gathering clouds bringing heavy rain and gales. The stormy weather that was to come later, once I was safely in the warmth of home.
That was my 'Day One' of being wild.
Where has all the 'Peace and Respect', and the 'Dignity and Goodwill', gone?
I thought long and hard before embarking on this essay. How can we all learn from 2014? How can Scotland and the United Kingdom learn? How can I learn? I can learn about how I conduct myself, whether I'm out in public or I'm posting online (Twitter, Facebook, my blog). There is always room to learn. And this, for me, is how our country can learn - the way in which we conduct our politics. It's healthy to debate in a democracy, indeed it's essential. It's also healthy to have strong opinions, and to have different opinions. But, and it's a pretty big but, those opinions can be argued in a polite, positive, and constructive manner. Argued with a little respect, some dignity, and plenty of goodwill. We really have to end this 'Punch and Judy', party against party, school playground, childish style of politics. This 'black and white', 'I'm right and you're wrong', attitude of boastfulness and ego - the threats, bullying, rhetoric, ransom and bluster - is so corrosive. It's everywhere, you just need to look at social media. It does not have to be like this. Do we learn nothing as we grow up, as children maturing into adults? Find the common ground where we agree, welcome the different ideas that inspire us, and dismiss entirely those intended only to insult, fragment and inflame. Start working with each other, rather than against ourselves, and built on it. I'm not saying we will always agree, but we can learn to disagree in a better way. Surely? Sound-Bites Sound-bites. They have their uses, but too many are expressed just to draw a quick reaction (and then lead to action without thought). They're spoken merely to provoke. Sound-bites are too short to contain the whole story or facts (especially on twitter) and they can easily by spun out of context. A lot of sound-bites are deeply unhelpful - to all of us. Nat, BritNat, Unionist, 'Hope Over Fear', Westmonster/Wastemonster, traitor, quizzling, 'my conscience is clear'. When a sound-bite is used in such a manner, it often says more about the person who used it, than anything it could say about the person it's aimed at (not always, but often). Sound-bites can be words taken out of context, misrepresented, misused and abused (and sometimes, that is something that's done on purpose). Used in such a way, they don't offer anything constructive. A tweet can appear like a sound-bite and, due to its brevity, it often is a sound-bite. That's why you must carefully consider everything that you say on twitter, and do your best to allow a reader to think about the wider context. Don't simply dictate your words for someone to blindly follow them - speak your words to encourage someone to actually think about them, and then be inspired by them. Speak and write politely and respectfully, and peacefully and constructively. And do it with goodwill, even if you disagree, whether your words are sound-bites or whole paragraphs. That's what I try to do when I write (try being the word - I'll be honest about that). I'll admit I'm guilty of making plenty of mistakes. All I will say is this - would I really be human if I didn't? The Media The media. A lot is written and spoken in the media (television, radio, newspapers, and, increasingly, the internet world of Twitter, Facebook, and blogging). How much of it is honest and polite? How much is driven by an agenda? And what about media hysteria? I read, I watch, and I listen. Some of it is the truth, some of it is just falsehoods, and some of it is twisted towards one or the other. Reality, more often than not, is in the middle somewhere, sitting between the lines. It's usually pretty complex, and it's never black and white. I come to my own conclusions, as rational and reasoned as I can. I don't always succeed. I am now wary of bowing down to what any one individual or institution might say. I apply this approach to politicians as much as I do to the media. The debate during the 2014 referendum has reinforced and taught me how important it is to think for myself, and not just follow a cause (or anything else) blindly. I am still learning this. I won't put words in your mouth (I'll do my most sincerest, and my very best, not to do that). So please don't put words in my mouth either. I'm sure I am unsuccessful just as much as I am successful at this. Don't be so hard on each other for being human and making mistakes, the point is to try and learn from them. I don't think we ever do, or ever should, stop learning in life. Life is about learning. Individuals make mistakes. Governments make mistakes. Make them account for them, and make them learn from them, and then allow them to adapt from them. Do it through strong, positive, and constructive criticism, rather than negative accusations. It may work, it may not, but it's a much better approach and has a better chance of success. While free speech is important, and we should be extremely careful about controlling what people say and do, take a moment to think about some of the phrases that are spoken by certain people and (in this election) certain candidates. Think for a minute, and them ask youself - is this who I would like to represent me? I've always believed that if you can't say something in a polite and respectful way, then you shouldn't be saying it at all. The Choice First things first, please let us move beyond just pure party politics. I'll vote for an individual. A person who is showing respect and goodwill, someone who I feel will work with respect and goodwill for this area, and in harmony with Scotland, the United Kingdom, and the world as a whole. That individual is not Alex Salmond. Look at this quote by Salmond, from a 'Daily Telegraph' interview - "There's a vast overwhelming majority of people in Scotland, regardless of political preference, who rather like the idea of the Westminster parliament being hung by a Scottish rope". It says it all for me. If I am in a minority of people who would not like to see such a scenario, then I am proud. As a Scot, I am actually quite disturbed and concerned by such an idea. He does not represent my view. And he never will. This letter here also makes interesting reading - 'Dear Alex ... an open letter to the former First Minister from an old schoolmate' I have a feeling (and I'm open to the idea it could be wrong) that Salmond and Sturgeon would rather use this election as a proxy, a proxy towards another vote on independence (whenever they intend that to be). The SNP won't say it openly, but many SNP candidates are pretty clear that independence is still their main intention. Don't be fooled by anything otherwise. They're not trying to hide the fact that they'll always support Scottish Independence. I wouldn't expect them to, and I wouldn't ask them to. I do appreciate honesty. So why not just be open and honest about it? Why be so secretive, talk about stirring things up at Westminster, and deny a continued aim of independence? An aim that is so very clear. We want a government in Westminster that is as stable and harmonious as possible. The United Kingdom needs that more than ever. We don't want one that's ever more acrimonious and tearing itself apart - where one part is trying to fragment the parliament from within, rather than encourage the positive change that actually needs to be achieved. That's in no ones interests. Not the United Kingdom. Definitely not Scotland. Not anyone at all. Very real issues face us across the United Kingdom, and in Scotland - the future of the NHS, standards of education, levels of employment and more. Can we please discuss these very real issues? And without a culture of backstabbing, blame and entitlement, and without 'petty' disagreements. Think about all of that for a moment. I simply do not agree with the SNP's key policy, and therefore I would never vote for them. I never could. I respect that some people do (and would) vote for them, I would be a hypocrite supporting a healthy democracy if I didn't. That doesn't mean I don't disagree intensely though. Live and let live on that point. I firmly believe that everyone's opinion is valid (does that surprise anyone?), and more so if it is expressed in a way that is polite and respectful. Even if I disagree. It's just unfortunate that many opinions are not expressed in a polite and respectful way. It's damaging Scotland, not just Britain, the lact of respect and goodwill. The lack of dignity. I'm really swayed towards the Liberal Democrats. Despite what they may, or may not, have got right in coalition. I admire what I've read, seen and heard from Christine Jardine. She cares. She has passion. She comes across friendly and respectful, and she appears strong willed. She looks more than ready to get the job done, as best she can. I'm thinking about the individual here, and her individual qualities, as well as her wider party. It feels to me that there's slightly less bluster coming from the Liberal Democrats, and that they're waiting quietly in the background. I admire that they are being a bit more measured, and not really forcing themselves too heavily on people (not from anything I have experienced anyway). I'm getting a few leaflets for Jardine through the mail now and then, and I'm happy to look at them. I'm getting so many leaflets for Salmond that I'm sick of the sight of them. 'Vote Christine Jardine' looks like the best option for Gordon's future, within Scotland and within the United Kingdom. Don't punish the Liberal Democrats for all the misakes of a coalition that contains a much higher percentage of Conservative politicians. Sometimes you have to be brave and put faith in one individual. That individual is Christine Jardine. If elected, she can carry on the tireless good work that Malcolm Bruce has done for Gordon, over the last thirty (30) years in parliament. Where I Stand I wouldn't join a political party, and I never wear political badges (the closest I came was a 'No Thanks' twibbon on my Facebook and Twitter profile pictures). I often find myself agreeing and disagreeing with politicians across the political spectrum, regardless of their party. In terms of finding a natural place to align myself, I would say that I'm quite Liberal in my view. I also sway slightly towards Labour, far more than I realised actually. I don't think the Liberal Democrats have been given a fair chance - as the smaller party in a coaltion, having an influence was always going to be a challenge. Rightly or wrongly, they made a deal with the party winning most seats in 2010. That party was the Conservative party (by a relatively slim margin). The party with the most seats has first rights to try and form a government (I think that's fair), and that's what happened in 2010 (as also occured in the Scottish Parliament in 2007, when the SNP formed a minority administration). How do we judge the coalition? We all have our own opinions (some agreeing, some disagreeing. None of them wrong. Maybe even none of them right). No one is going to be happy all of the time, with any government. That's just a drawback of democracy, and the way that life is. I find it hard to judge any of the parties, since we don't witness everything happening in the rooms of 'government' (and I apply that to all the political parties). What really goes on behind closed doors? Do I think the Lib-Dems got some things wrong? Absolutely. Do I believe there were moments when they could have done more? Probably. And do I feel that they actually got some bits right? Definitely. I'd have liked to have seen a Liberal Democrat government in 2010, and if Labour had had the larger number of seats, I'd have liked to have seen a deal between the Liberals and Labour. For me, a Labour-Liberal Democrats coalition wouldn't be perfect, but it would be no bad outcome in a hung parliament. I would tolerate another Conservative-Liberal deal. What about a Labour-Conservative-Liberal deal? (I'm sure stranger things have happened!). One deal that would be terrible, however, would be a Labour-SNP deal. I wouldn't vote Conservative. I just don't think they fully understand how ordinary people live. I'm sure they do try, but I'm not always convinced by those attempts. I am lucky to be reasonably well off (if not at all rich), I have a reasonably payed job, and I am lucky to have the extra support of my family. I should never take that for granted - a lot of people are not as lucky as me. I can only see things from my own (probably) limited perspective, and I acknowledge that. I avoid UKIP, as I don't feel they are at all right for Britain. I am proud that we are multicultural, and I believe we probably do benefit from EU membership. Leaving is not the answer, what is needed is proper reform. Make a better balance, between what the EU gives us culturally, as well as what it gives us politically and economically. The EU is a fantastic idea, and it's some achievement that, for over half a century, there has been no European conflict between the likes of France, Britain and Germany (athough there have been disagreements, and wars elsewhere we've been involved in, albeit not wars against each other). Let's work to make the EU the great 'union' that it really should be. While I would never vote SNP, I recognise that Nicola Sturgeon is a very intelligent woman, a very capable woman, and a very skilled speaker. I can't really deny that. She's an accomplished politician, and there's actually much that she says that I admire and even agree with - such as a fairer and better society, and one that works to eradicate poverty. I just don't agree with her means of achieving it. A party clearly working for a better Scotland, within a better United Kingdom, and working to strengthen that union, might well have gained my vote. That party could have been the SNP. It's just a shame that that party is not the SNP, a party with a narrow view cemented by nationalism. Sturgeon says that only the people of Scotland will (rightly) decide when it is time for another 'Independence Referendum'. I agree with her, to the extent that it is up to the people, but a mandate will have to be offered to the people first, to allow any prospect of that happening. Sturgeon will have to offer that mandate sooner rather than later (the 2016 SNP Manifesto?), or her supporters will lynch her (politically, if not actually). So when she says she isn't planning another referendum, I think she's lying. It's just a matter of when she'd like to offer one to Scotland, that's all. One 'Face of nationalism'? All of these statements were made by SNP candidates standing in this election (As far as I am aware. If not, I fully apologise and retract them, and will remove them from this article, if requested). Source - Daily Mail, Wednesday, April 29, 2015. I am repeating quotes only) - George Kerevan (East Lothian seat candidate) - "A hung Parliament could mean punishing, all-night sittings and constant media scrutiny, but I would relish the chance to take Scotland's fight to the enemy camp." and "After Home Rule, independence will follow as the UK economy implodes". Martin Docherty (West Dunbartonshire seat candidate, at a meeting of the Clydebank Trades Union Council) - "I was lucky, I had a mother who stood (at the shipyard gates) on a Friday afternoon waiting for a pay packet. Her and ten others. While the rest of them, with all due respect, gentlemen, usually p***** it up against a wall in Connolly's (bar)." Drew Hendry (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey seat candidate) - "Winning this seat delivers a unique opportunity to take the next step on the road to achieving an independent Scotland." Paul Monaghan (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross seat candidate) - "I for one will never accept anything less than independence" and "Never mind the referendum. Just declare independence." Neil Hay (Edinburgh South seat candidate) - under the pseudonym of "Paco McSheepie" on twitter, he referred to UK supporters as "quislings" and said that some elderly voters can "barely remember their own names". These words speak for themselves. I find it a great shame to share them, and do not take any kind of pleasure from it. Is this really the Scotland that has achieved so much that is wonderful, within the United Kingdom? The one that we want to live in? George Orwell said "Nationalism is power hunger tempered by self-deception". Do not decieve yourself, or allow yourself to be decieved. Two of my doubts on 'SNP Policy' The SNP policy of Full Fiscal Autonomy (FFA), which they now seem to be backing away from slightly and calling Full Financial Responsibility (FFR), could be a path to economic chaos (EDIT - a genuine and honest mistake on my part, 'Fiscal' has actually been replaced with 'Financial' in the new term. My memory was at fault, and I apologise. My original point still stands, which I will expand on more clearly - do the Scottish Government know that FFA is a bad idea, so they're now trying to distance themselves from it, on the sly? It doesn't give me a lot of confidence in them, whether they say FFA or FFR!). Kevin Hague explains it all much better than I could - 'A Simple Summary of Scotland's Economy' (it's worth having a look through the rest of his blog too, if you have the time). This attack by Alex Salmond on the 'Institute for Fiscal Studies' (IFS) is extraordinary (includes a link to Salmond's original article, and a link to an analysis made by the IFS on the fiscal plans of four parties) - 'Alex Salmond attacks IFS over Scottish National Party's spending plans after the election' I feel that the SNP stance on Trident is naive. They want rid of nuclear weapons, and I want rid of nuclear weapons. It's a terrible legacy we've been left from the past, and so many better things could benefit from using the money that instead goes to Trident. But moving them to England wouldn't make much difference, and removing them from the United Kingdom wouldn't influence the likes of North Korea. If the so-called Islamic State is still around in ten years time (and it's not going away anytime soon, I don't think), and it gets hold of nuclear weapons, our nuclear deterrent could well be very reassuring. A deeply uncomfortable and very necessary evil. I support a phased, and multilateral, nuclear disarmament across the entire world. With different governments, and different agendas, there is never going to be an easy answer on how to do this. Voting I will vote. It is my right, people fought for me to get that right, and I believe that everyone should use that right and vote (whatever their political view). All I can be clear about is this - I will not be voting for Alex Salmond. I've been told he's very pleasant and considerate in person, and I have no reason to doubt that. I don't have a personal dislike for a man I've never met, and all I wish him are health and happiness in life. My intense dislike is only towards his manner of politics, which seem to exemplify the 'Punch and Judy' style of conduct that so concerns me about Scotland and Britain in 2015. It seems like we have a political-child who is not being given the 'sweet' that they so desperately wanted, and they throw their 'toys' out of the pram as a consequence. I was impressed by Salmond's speech on 19th September 2014, when he announced that he would be stepping down, and I wished that he'd come across more like that during the referendum campaign. He said he would respect the result of the referendum, and yet it took him only a few weeks to claim that no voters were tricked into believing 'the vow' (a promise which wouldn't be delivered, he said). Where is the patience, the respect and the humility? Alex Salmond doesn't seem to have that in him, not in the way he comes across. That saddens me, more than it does anger me. And worse than that, it erodes any trust that I might have had left in him. That trust is gone. At the end of the day though, beyond just Alex Salmond, I will never support a party that wishes to break up our 'family' of nations, so I will never give my support to the SNP. They have a right to stand in elections, which I respect. I have just as much right not to vote for them, which I hope they would respect. Why must we always play a 'blame game' in British politics, and find someone specific to blame for everything? If the next government gets it wrong, and the SNP are involved, will they be blamed in the same way that the Liberal Democrats have been (for making tough choices, and let's face it, not, always getting them right)? And if they do get it wrong, will they hold their hand up and admit it or simply say 'sorry Sir, it wasn't me'? It takes guts to admit when you're wrong, and some more guts still, to try and do something positive from those mistakes. There comes a moment when you have to forgive the past, and respect that things went wrong sometimes, as well as wonderfully right at other times. Take something positive (no matter how small) and use it to move on. Don't necessarily forget, or forgive for the other party's sake (it can be very hard to do that), but forgive for yourself. Don't hold onto negative emotions that have turned into anger and hate. Find a way to release them that's positive - it's the most rewarding feeling in the world. Hate and anger hurt and damage you most of all - don't let them hurt and damage other people as well. I'm not aiming this at any one person, or any group of people - I just feel that there is too much negativity and division in society today. It's alright to disagree, but we don't have to divide and take sides as we do so. Change I'm convinced that there's a need for change. I just don't believe the SNP are the answer, or the type of independence they offered us last year. Change has to come fairly and respectfully, for the United Kingdom as one whole. The Westminster of old does not seem to fit in the 21st Century world, where we should all be on an equal footing, not in a heirarchy of Lords,elites, Upper, Middle, and Working classes. We're all human beings. Individual politics, and individual ideas, rather than pure party politics, feels like a really good idea to me (although I recognise that reality isn't always as good as 'in theory'). If that makes sense, I'm still pondering the idea. The key to all of this is to reform the House of Lords, Westminster and the voting system, so that individual voters have a better voice, and a fairer say, on how their country is governed. Individual ideas (sometimes good ideas) can so easily drowned out by the wider crowd. Lets find a way to change that, in a fair and respectable way. Individuals debating, rather than groups gathering like a 'gang culture' and bickering. The Liberal Democrats had the right idea, trying to change 'first past the post', even though the electorate ultimately rejected it. Wouldn't 'proportional representation' be fairer? There are pros and cons, of course, but I supported it in the 2011 Referendum, once I had taken a little time to understand it properly. Our political system needs to be reformed, but it has to be done slowly, and properly, and nothing can just change radically overnight. Give it time. Change can happen. Nothing ever stays the same. Life, and the world, is like a river - it is always flowing in new and different directions. It is our role, as individuals, to choose and shape whether they are bad or good directions. Not everything is always in our control, I understand that, but there is plenty that is within our influence. We have choices that we can make. Take the time to change the system for the better, don't just break it apart into chaos. A Lot Matters This election is not about independence, but there are still great issues from the referendum that need to be resolved. They need to be resolved definitively. The last thing we need is a 'neverendum' or another referendum campaign. We need to build stability and heal divisions. I didn't vote no because I am fearful, or because I was tricked by 'the Vow', or because I don't believe that Scotland could 'make it' as an independent country (I'm sure that it could, Scottish people never give up after all). I voted no because I love the United Kingdom. I see no reason why we can't make very real, and very benificial, change together. Keeping Britain as one nation, formed from several distinct nations, if we work hard enough. I won't repeat all of my reasons here, that was another debate (please read my previous essay here - 'A Positive Scotland - A Positive World' ), but I will say that I genuinely love the United Kingdom. I really do. For those things that we have done right, and not for the things that have gone terribly wrong, or the things that we haven't got right (of course I don't love those things). I love the unique cultures that we share together (and yes, that includes the similarities and the differences between us) - the Welsh, the English, the Scottish, the Irish, the Polish, and all the other nationalities. The many different people who all make this beautiful country their home. Look at the art, the science and the engineering that we have achieved together. I will never vote to endanger that. The time is now, to work together more than ever before and, where it needs to be done, to make things better for everyone. Work to get rid of poverty, food-banks and injustice, wherever they might be in the world. Let us work towards a better humanity. Vote for an individual who will work with other individuals (disagreeing with them sometimes, yes, as well as agreeing with them - that's actually essential), and not completely against them. An individual with peace, respect, dignity and goodwill amongst their core values. It's not up to me to say who to vote for (I can't highlight that enough), not in a democracy, and not if we would like to live in a democracy of fairness and freewill (I would). All I hope, as always, is that I might at least inspire someone to think, first and foremost. It's right there - the power of thought. Put it into action. With peace and respect, and dignity and goodwill.
— Terry W. Virts (@AstroTerry) February 28, 2015
LEONARD NIMOY
(March 26th 1931 - February 27th 2015)
I am a little lost for words. Star Trek has lost someone special, I feel like I have lost someone that I knew. But of course, I didn't know him, not personaIly. I only knew him as an actor, and through his tweets. That still means an awful lot to me. When I first joined twitter in January 2012, Leonard Nimoy was one of the very first people that I 'followed'. I am glad that I did. Through twitter I feel I came to know him, just a 'little bit', and that little bit was very precious. His 'spirit' definitely touched me, in some unique way, and that's what I'll always remember. It will always be a part of me. We shared the same birthday too - March the 26th. I consider that to be an honour, and a great privilege, and it's something that I will keep within me for forever.
I relate to Spock. He's a Vulcan, trapped between two worlds, and struggling daily to fit in. Someone who is struggling to communicate with people who are 'alien' to him. He's an 'outsider' on the Enterprise in many ways (in the beginning), but by Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country he has made his peace. He is at home with who he is, and where he is, in his life. A key part of that is Spock's journey in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, where he realises that he needs his (irrational?) emotions and feelings just as much as he needs his (rational?) logic and knowledge. Then follows his death and resurrection over the next three films, and his ultimate acceptance of himself, and his Human/Vulcan heritage. It is a terrific character arc, for my favourite Star Trek character. As someone on the autistic spectrum, life can be a daily challenge. A challenge to control my emotions, a challenge to balance the different 'sides' of myself, a challenge to communicate and understand and relate to those around me. When the worst moments happen to me, I'll often think 'what would Spock do?', and the answer is always that 'he would find a logical approach, somehow, and he would stay strong'. I relate to all those times when Spock is besieged by his emotions, and is challenged to control them. I've learnt from that. That I have is a testament to Leonard Nimoy's skills as an actor - he created a character of Spock (and a Vulcan race) who we could really believe in. I love the character of Spock, and the whole concept of the Vulcans (and, indeed, the Romulans). I'm intrigued by them, and how they relate to me. It's an ongoing journey, and Leonard Nimoy played as big a part in that as anybody. Therefore, part of my tribute must be to watch Nimoy's most notable appearances as Spock in Star Trek. Given that Spock is such a key character, from The Cage through to The Undiscovered Country, that is easier said than done. A complete rewatch might be in order, but before I do that, I think a logical order (pun intended) of episodes would be as follows - The Naked Time, The Menagerie, Balance of Terror, The Galileo Seven, This Side of Paradise, Amok Time, Journey to Babel, The Immunity Syndrome, The Enterprise Incident, The Tholian Web and All Our Yesterdays. That's a mini-season of 12 episodes! Not all of Spock's notable moments, but many of them. Mirror, Mirror? Spock's Brain or The Way to Eden anyone? There's his appearance in The Next Generation too, in Unification, and the original series films are essential - The Motion Picture, The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, The Voyage Home, The Final Frontier, and The Undiscovered Country. And, since he has a substantial role in the first, and a cameo in the second, both of the recent films - Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness. That is how far his Star Trek legacy goes.
Leonard Nimoy was an exceptional man, that much is very clear to me. He wasn't on twitter as much as some, but when he was he would inevitably bring a smile to my face (and sometimes a small chuckle). Each of his tweets was well considered, and always thinking of others. He did that right up to the end (as his final tweets below show). He offered so many insights into life, so much wisdom, and so much inspiration. In his role as an actor, playing the character of Mr. Spock, he was an inspirational ambassador for Star Trek. But he was more than that. He was also a poet, a photographer, a singer and a director. He was an exceptional artist, and a remarkable human being. He was flawed I am sure, as we all are, but it is his virtues that we should focus on, his tweets displayed plenty of those to 'remember ...'. Leonard Nimoy was (and still is, through our memories), a great ambassador for humanity.
His final two tweets, in which he shared some of his poetry, were beautiful. As a poet, I felt that the best way to honour him would be to write a poem of my own. So here it is. It reflects upon Leonard Nimoy's final tweet, and a little tale from twitter. Leonard Nimoy made an offer to be the 'honorary' grandfather of anyone who was interested. I responded, as did a flood of others. It shows what a kind, caring, and gentle man he was. If I was accepted as one of his 'honorary' grandchildren, then I am proud to have been one. I'll miss reading his contributions on twitter, I'm sure many others will too.
'Garden of Life'
'Garden of Life'. Roses, Daffadils, Daisies Each flower a memory, segments of time, those perfect moments. Nothing can be eternal. By the renewal of Spring, new flowers are born. Fresh, Bright, Alive. Each one carries a 'memory', forward and everlasting. Memory of 'honorary' Grandfather. He gave a home within, his kind, caring, gentle heart, for so many 'honorary' Grandchildren. We won't ever forget him. Remember. Live Long and Prosper. © Robert Morrison, 2015
My very deepest condolences, and my thoughts and my prayers, go out to the family and friends of Leonard Nimoy right now. May he 'Rest In Peace' and never be forgotten. Live long and prosper.
While I intended this solely as a tribute to Leonard Nimoy, I must spare a word or two for Maurice Hurley (August 16th 1939 - February 24th 2015) and Harve Bennett (August 17th 1930 - February 25th 2015), both of whom also passed away recently. Hurley had a key role in the early, formative years of Star Trek: The Next Generation, writing the classic episode Q Who?, and creating a (then!) unbeatable foe in the Borg. As good a legacy as any, he was also partly responsible for the character of Lore (Data's brother) and for introducing the Romulans into the new show. Bennett, who was producer from Star Trek: II (1982) through to Star Trek: V (1989), is responsible for Star Trek still being around today. He reinvigorated Star Trek and moved it forwards, while staying true to it's roots (not pure Roddenberry, perhaps, but still very much Star Trek). That is his very important legacy. I say this as someone who loves Star Trek: The Motion Picture by the way, I have room for different interpretations of Star Trek. Bennett's films feature many themes. The value of family and friendship, actions and their consequences, and revenge, and the needless destruction that it can cause. The trilogy of The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, and The Voyage Home, explores the themes of death, resurrection and redemption. My thoughts, prayers, and deepest condolences, go out to the friends and family of both Maurice Hurley and Harve Bennett. May they also 'Rest In Peace'.
Just a thought for the day that I had - quite a while ago now (and prose rather than poetry, this one!), it's actually been a long time in the thinking, and a long time in the writing! Human expression. Human beings are such emotional and expressive souls. We truly are. Emotions are the very facets of life - the ones which really define us as people. As such, it is very important for us to learn how to understand our emotions. To learn how to control them (especially the most vibrant ones!), and to learn how to express them (and in the right way too, whatever that is!). It's almost a basic need, and a compulsion, for us to share our emotions. All of this helps us to grow, and allows us to begin the process of understanding our own souls. Only by understanding our own souls (or, at the very least, by beginning to understand them) can we ever hope to understand the souls of others and move towards connecting with other people. I think we are always trying to find new ways to express ourselves in life. Finding new forms of expression, through our emotions and our experiences - searching for a means in which to share our soul. Without that, we are nothing. Art is one such means of sharing - art is a powerful tool of expression, and a powerful way for us to connect. Are not paintings, poetry, and music, and radio, television, and film, all forms of expression? Art doesn't even end there, and it doesn't even have to be art. It can be the simple act of bumping into someone, whilst walking in the street or at the shops. And talking on the telephone (even though I'm hopeless on it!), or meeting for a chat in the local coffee shop (or 'Chocolate Bar'!), might just seem like ordinary everyday occurences, but both are still forms of expression. You are expressing yourself and connecting on a really personal level. Even this very writing blog is expressive - it's me expressing myself! All of these examples, and more, are the result of our desire (our need and compulsion?) to express ourselves. Our desire to connect with each other, as human beings. Let's look at art, at paintings. Vincent Van Gogh, who was a tortured genius, is my favourite artist. It's because he was (and still is) all about emotion and experience and expression - so often for me, his paintings capture how life truly feels, in a unique and sensual way. Like Van Gogh, we are all 'mad' and 'sane', trying to balance ourselves between the two, as we live our everyday lives. Human beings are a balance of contradictions. That's one reason why I really dislike the term 'normal', I dislike it quite intensely, as there is no clear definition of 'normal' that will ever fully satisfy me. What is 'normal'? Why create a spectrum of 'normal'? Why try to categorise people? It drives me mad! It drives me insane! We are all just people trying to make sense of the world around us. Trying to make sense of ourselves. We are, each of us, unique individuals with something unique to give humanity as a whole. That is what matters the most. How our individuality contributes to the whole. Van Gogh used paintings (beautiful, colourful paintings!) to try and understand himself. And he helps us to understand the world better too. Van Gogh's paintings don't just show how the world looks to your eyes, they relate how the world feels to your soul. It's such a tragedy that Van Gogh's paintings didn't enable him to overcome his own inner demons. It is though, a triumph that they have given so much in peace and joy to other people, and helped them in some way, big or small. Particularly so where he's helped others to overcome their demons. I include myself as one of those people, that Vincent Van Gogh has helped in such a way. To me, that is a beautiful thing. That is what I hope I am able to do with my poetry, and my other pieces of writing (including this blog). I have learned to understand myself better through writing, especially through writing my poetry. It helps me to sort out my emotions, and my thoughts, those fragments of mind that whirr around endlessly inside my head. Writing allows me to rationalize them all, to understand them. And if I can learn to understand myself better, and I can learn to express myself better, then I can learn to connect with other people better, and come to understand them better too. Poetry helps me to do that - in a way that I wouldn't have believed possible several years ago. I was diagnosed autistic as an adult, I was diagnosed with Asperger's. I drop the syndrome, which is entirely my choice, as I don't see anything wrong with myself. I'm just different, I'm just unique, and I don't have struggles, I have challenges. I accept that while this works for me, it may not work for others, but it is how I feel. I am not controlled by my autism - I am in control of my autism. I accept it's there, and that it's part of me (and it's answered so many questions), but I've set myself the challenge of not living up to a label, I have no need of one. I do feel that it's one label, amongst many, that is used far too often in the world today. Again, that is just my opinion, and in different circumstances it might well be different (and rightly different too). I am me, and that is that. I have good days, and I have bad days. I deal with them both. Some things in life are there to challenge us. The secret is in the way we face them - putting on a brave face and finding a way to smile. I went through some very difficult years, and then, through writing poetry, I started to find myself, and I started to learn who I was. I am still learning, and it is an enjoyable life experience. I am in a happy place in my life. Music played a great part in that, as well as writing poetry. Let's look at music as an art-form. Poetry and music can often be entwined together for me, music has certainly inspired my poetry. Two Simon and Garfunkel songs have inspired poems that I've written. 'Homeward Bound' inspired my poem 'The Journey Home', a poem about travelling, it's pitfalls (at times) and the longing to get (or be) home that that can entail. I wrote it as a poem for people on a journey, to give comfort and hope (with warmth, and a little chuckle along the way), that home is aways in your heart, wherever you happen to be. 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' inspired 'Hope from Lonely Despair', about a very dark and difficult time, and how the bridge that brought me to safety was a very true friend, leading me ultimately to hope. It's not just music that inspires me, but other people's writing too (and sometimes with alcohol!). One of my poems was inspired by listening to the Dire Straits song 'Brothers in Arms', reading sonnets by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and drinking Banana Bread Beer! That conjured up many different feelings in my head! A case of mixing my mood at the time, with what I was seeing, and hearing, and feeling. The poem that resulted is called ‘Tears of Melancholy & Tranquillity’, and it is largely about the two components of life - the extremes of happiness and sadness, and the places between them. I likened this to a rainbow - you have to put up with a little ‘rain’, heavy or light (and thunder and lightning in the middle, sometimes) to get the true colour, and the full beauty, of the ‘bow’. This is very much the way that I am starting to feel about life. We all find ways of expression, and poetry is mine. Writing is my strength, by which I live! A FOOTNOTE - If any of my writing here appears complex, it is because it's a complex subject. Life is never just black and white, and that adds to the complexity. My writing tries to reflect that. The only thing I ever ask is that my writing causes someone to think. Thinking is important. So don't worry if you don't quite understand something that I've written (my mind is a contradiction!) - what matters most is that it's provoked a wonderful and amazing thought of your own (whatever that is!). Ideas provoke thoughts, thoughts provoke new ideas, and that is human progress. I wanted to leave my readers with an 'ultimate', 'powerful', form of expression to ponder over. 'The Ridge', by Danny Macaskill, is something extraordinary and amazing - it is expression in the extreme. It shows what humans can do, if they put their minds to it. And even if you've seen it before, it is definitely worth a re-watch. I will leave you all with that. "I AM ME, AND THAT IS ALL. I WILL NOT BE PIDGEON-HOLED INTO A CATEGORY OF 'NORMAL'. BY ANYONE. AT ANYTIME. OR ANYWHERE." "I AM UNIQUE, AND PROUD TO BE SO" "We all had the chance to use our individual voices in this debate. Keep using that voice. Make it heard by politicians. It's your strength." This will be a much shorter article than my previous one. My main point here is not one about winning, and it certainly isn't anything at all about gloating. This isn't about overall winners and overall losers. I am happy that the United Kingdom is still together, very much so. But I am not happy in any way that Scotland has ended up so heavily divided by this referendum. We should all have our different opinions, and I welcome a rich diversity of opinions, that is something healthy in a society, but those opinions should always be shared with respect and dignity. That is the one thing I hope I have learnt most, throughout all of this. We shouldn't be forming into groups or clubs or gangs, for childish punch ups in the school playground. We're better than that, all of us. Yes and No voters. Maturity is the key here. We are all Scotland. We just have different viewpoints. And a respectful viewpoint is always worth paying attention to, even if it is different, and even if you disagree with it. When we combine the best of people's thoughts and views (the best of everyone), we can forge something truly greater together, through our actions. Actions carried out with peace and dignity. Now is a time for reconcilliation. My article is about finding a positive way forward, both for Scotland and for the United Kingdom. I am merely sharing some more of my thoughts. I don't have all the answers, or all of the ideas, that will aid our reconcilliation. I am only one mind. Ideas and answers are something for all of us to contribute, combining our minds for even greater thinking. These are my thoughts on the result of the Scottish Independence Referendum, and where they might take us. We have promoted to the world that unity and diversity is better than separation and division. I am proud of Scotland today because of that. For me this was never about taking sides, it was never about hatred and it was never about fighting anyone. It was about striving for better unity, and to promote that strength of unity ,and diversity, of our unique cultures, to the world. Scotland has shown it's voice, that it already has a strong independence within the United Kingdom. And our relationship in the United Kindgdom has already changed, due to this referendum. It couldn't not change. We have to make sure that that change remains a change for the better. The onus is on us, as independent individuals, to unite together and make this our great nation. To keep what is good, and dispense with what is bad. Let's not pretend that we are suddenly living in a utopia (is there such a thing?) or that the future, the coming weeks and months, will be easy and won't be challenging. We are not in a utopia, and the future will always be challenging. Life is not easy. It is the most difficult journey that any of us are on, but it can be the most rewarding experience at the same time too. And there is hope. There is always hope. Whenever I see a negative, I look for hope (no matter how small) and I try and find a way to turn it into a positive. A positive attitude is a key to doors in life. A negative attitude is merely a lock and a barrier. Think positive. Open doors. Our task now is to work together, to strengthen that renewed sense of unity. To push it even further forwards. And I really do feel real unity. It's facing a challenge (when is it never?), but there is a cartload of hope in the air. Hold on to that. Westminster has to change. It simply can't remain as it is anymore. The whole system has to become fairer for all of us. In Scotland. In England. In Wales. In Northern Ireland. Promises of extra powers must be delivered (and I'm uneasy using that word, power - as 'power' so often falls foul to that word, 'corrupt'). They must be delivered by Westminster and Holyrood working together, and we must strive hard for them. I know that Scotland will do that, because it is in our Scottish character to never give up. Scots will always try again and again, until we achieve something worthwhile. One of the things we need to do is this. We have to take into account the opinions of everyone, whether they voted Yes or No, and we need to engage the people who are still indifferent and apathetic to politics. We must work with England, Wales and Northern Ireland too, if we are going to improve Westminster. Lets do all that together, for Scotland and for the United Kingdom. Never give up. Keep trying. And achieve an amazing goal. It is clear that the cultural and social bonds between us and our different nations are strong. Perhaps they are even stronger now. I certainly hope that they are. I certainly feel very valued by the ordinary people of the rest of the United Kingdom. I've always felt that. I feel valued wherever I go across this United Kingdom, and I'm never less than welcomed by any of it's people. It is the politicians who are the real problem, the ones who are out of touch with ordinary life (I'll risk controversy here and say this - they aren't all completely out of touch, and they aren't all unreachable either). It is clear to me that our political system is pretty fractured. But it isn't irreparable, and our politicians have an important role to play in the solution. We all do. Reach out, and narrow that gap, between ordinary people and out of touch politicians. It is our political bonds that we must work to improve and strengthen most of all. Maybe it will be one of the hardest things that we do. But that will make it all the more rewarding for our future generations, if we give this our best possible effort and show that we tried. Show that we tried our damnedest to do something good, something that we did together and united for. So let us work together now, to improve Westminster. For Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Our United Kingdom. For future generations to come. Government needs to be closer to the people, it needs to be more regional, and it needs to be much more accountable to the people. I don't think independence would have done that (although I'll always accept the chance that I might be wrong). I think we can change better as a United Kingdom, and more positively as a United Kingdom. Separation, of any kind, would send out the wrong message. Uniting is a positive first step. Just think this thought, and hold on to it - if the world united more, it would be a much better place. This debate has enlivened my interest in politics, and it has enlivened my writing too. I really hope that spirit continues within me. I have learnt a lot, from both sides of the debate, things that are both good and bad. I have learnt much about Scotland, and much about myself. Some of that I like and admire, some of it I dislike and I'm ashamed of. It has been an enlightening journey for my soul in so many ways. I hope it is one that has grown me as a person, and as an individual. And I hope it is one that it has taught me the best way to unite with other people. To engage with people in the right way, and in a fair and respectful way. For myself, that can only ever be a good thing, and a positive thing. I am willing to keep on learning, and to keep on changing and growing. That is, after all, what life is all about. "Let's work together to improve Westminster & ensure Scotland gets those extra powers. Improve the system for England, Wales & N Ireland too." "I'm happy with today's result. I also respect how Yes voters must feel. We differ in opinion, but you're Scottish, I'll always welcome you." Listening to 'The Beatles' song 'Let It Be' always quietens my mind and helps me to think ... "I feel positive about the future. I am always an optimist, even in the face of adversity." I went for a walk to find solace in nature, and I found it by the flowing river ...
"I am so saddened by what I am seeing in Scotland, a country that I love. We seem to be dividing from within, when we should be uniting ..." "Real independence - being independent as individuals, having our own thoughts, making our own choices, not being dictated to by arrogance." 'A FUTURE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM' If any of my writing below is flawed? It is because I am flawed. Human beings are flawed, and I am a member of the human race. Please do not judge me merely for that. I am writing this because I care about Scotland and the United Kingdom. I care deeply about this country, from John o' Groats to Land's End, and all the bits inbetween. Therefore, this may be quite a long article. If you are unable to read all of it, all I ask is that you take a look over the key points, and the sections of highlighted text. Even if you don't want to read it, for whatever reason (and I respect that), all I can ask is that you give it a glance, and maybe watch the videos too. Remember, at the end of the day all of this is just my own opinion (rightly or wrongly), and I would never force that on anyone.This article is long for one reason alone - because I care, whatever you may think of my viewpoint. I am not an expert, in any sense of the word. In fact, I hugely distrust the word - expert. I don't have all the facts, and I don't have all the figures. What I do have are my thoughts, after two years of reading, watching and listening to the referendum debate, and contemplating as much as I can. It is my thoughts that I am sharing now, and nothing more. It is a collection of what is going on inside my head. Some of that is naturally disjointed, but I've organised it as best I can. If there is one thing I hope I have learned from this debate, it is the importance of having tolerance and respect towards other people. There are plenty of Yes supporters and No supporters who conduct themselves respectfully, and have something deep and abiding in common - a love, and a passion, and a caring heart for Scotland. Let's unite for that, and not divide. We have a common goal, just different opinions on how to get there. And our differences are just as valuable to us as our similarities - as long as we use them both wisely and sensibly. I firmly believe that forging a United Kingdom is the best way to achieve that. Let's not be defeatist that our United Kingdom isn't working, let's be positive that it has a diamond foundation, and be optimistic that we can improve it's structure and make it better. Two things that I read had a big impact on me (amongst many). The first was a post on Facebook. A fourteen year old girl writing about her own worries, and those of her friends. The worries that they have for their future, if Scotland votes yes for independence. Worries for a variety of reasons (benefits, banks, jobs). She said something in her post that really made me sit up and think. She said that their opinion doesn't matter, no matter how well informed they are, or whether they are on the 'right side' or not, because they are only fourteen years old. She said that all she can do is hope. My reply to her was this - 'jjjust because you're fourteen years old, don't think that your opinion doesn't matter. It does matter, very much so. I, for one, value your opinion. More should speak out.' I realised that I have to vote no for people like her and her friends - those who have a voice, but do not have a vote yet. Has anyone else asked what our youngsters think? The young are often wiser than we might believe, they are often very surprising. This is their future too (perhaps more so), and it is important that we listen to their opinions, their concerns and their very real worries. The second was a piece of writing that I read in 'The Evening Express' newspaper (The Evening Express, Wednesday September 3, 2014, Page 4). This is a snippet - it said "who wants to be part of a silent majority? I would rather be on the side of those who are proud, passionate and fully engaged with an idea they believe is worth fighting for." Firstly, this isn't about taking sides. Secondly, I am proud, passionate and fully engaged with an idea that I believe is worth fighting for - the idea of unity, working together, and not dividing. And thirdly, and lastly, the reason that I have been part of 'a silent majority' is that I don't believe shouting and bluster is the way to go, I do my best to show respect and decorum, even when I greatly disagree with someone (I'm sure I'm not always successful, I'm only human after all, but I do try). I can stay silent no longer. "I'm proud to be British and Scottish. We should embrace what's similar, yet unique, in all our cultures - be that English, Scottish, Welsh or Irish." Yes we don't always get everything right and no, I don't agree with everything about modern day Britain (the Iraq War, the current Government in Westminster, the closure of RAF Kinloss, the closure of RAF Leuchers etc.). But like all families that bicker and argue, and fight and disagree now and then, we can and we should work out all of our problems together. Build more bridges, don't build walls, no matter how thin or how thick they are. We should never walk away from any part of family. I am Scottish, and it isn't in my nature to ever give up. I'm just not ready to give up on the United Kingdom - to walk away from a Union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It would be a sad day to see it go. It would break my heart. I love Britain. I love the similarities we share in our cultures, and I love the uniqueness that we offer each other too. I say this. Share our similarities. Offer our uniqueness. Embrace our differences. And promote a United Kingdom of many, amazing, cultures to the world. "I am positive and happy, with lots of faith in Scotland, and the United Kingdom - a United Kingdom that we can make even better!" I have no doubt that Scotland has the heart, and the soul, and the potential, to prosper as an Independent nation. But there is that word - potential. And then there is that other word - if. The most powerful word in the English language? There are too many 'ifs' in independence I don't see any 'Bitter Together', 'Project Fear' or scaremongering. Only reasonable questions being asked. Questions that need to be asked. Yet I don't see the answers from the nationalists. 'Scotland's Future' certainly doesn't provide the answers. I only had to read a little of it, and glance through it, to know that it is terribly written. That's just my opinion, of course (which may be horribly wrong), but I haven't just stated it without thinking long and hard first. Searching within my soul. There are no clear Plan B's (particularly in relation to currency), one week before the referendum, and there should be. It's relying too much on certainty that particular things will just happen, and that is too much of a bluff and a gamble. Most of what I've heard from 'Yes Scotland' has been wishy washy, and 'too good to be true'. It sounds alarm bells ringing in my head, it tells me to be cautious when considering anything that they say. Who can you trust? On either side even? Sometimes it really is 'better the devil you know'. No matter how unpalatable that might first appear. There is a positive case for independence, with answers that are as clear as they can be (and they'll never be completely clear, because we're living in an uncertain world), but we have not seen that positive case, and we have not seen those answers. I know that I haven't, or I wouldn't still have questions - big questions. I don't feel at all negative about Scotland. Not at all. I feel hugely positive about my country. It's just that I am trying my best to be realistic. And I believe overwhelmingly in uniting. Independence, particularly in this instance, does not unite. It is dividing us. Even within Scotland. Between Scotland and the United Kingdom, independence would be a separation and a divorce. To whatever extent you want to look at it, you can't hide that, no matter how much you try to cover it up. There would have to be a separation, the building of a new relationship, and relationships sometimes fail. Between people. Between nations. It takes two to make a relationship work, so what sort of relationship would iScotland and rUK have? We simply do not know. It could be good or it could be bad. It could be terrible and bitter. And then there's the separation within Scotland itself, between us here. Small or big, it is sadly happening. Scotland and the United Kingdom will have to heal a lot at the end of this referendum. It doesn't even sound like proper independence is being offered to me. So many contradictions, so many uncertain promises and so much false hope. We don't want a political union, but we do want a currency union? We'd allow a foreign country to be in charge of our currency, pulling all the important strings? The economy, education, jobs, pensions, the NHS - all of these are uncertain under independence, much more uncertain than if we remain part of the United Kingdom. We'd still be a member of the EU - no control from Westminster, but control from Brussels instead? How long would it take us to meet the lengthy criteria allowing entry into the EU - months, years, decades? Why would Scotland be a special case for EU membership? We are an existing member through the United Kingdom - but it's a United Kingdom that we would be voting to leave! We would still be a member of NATO, a nuclear alliance - isn't that hypocritical, if we are so vehemently opposed to nuclear weapons? (I don't like nuclear weapons much myself, to be honest, but I grudgingly admit that we probably have to keep them, at least for the moment. And disarmament needs to be multilateral, with the world working together - not unilateral, with one country working alone). What is NATO's stance on Scotland's membership? What about the rest of their members? Questions. Answers? Defence is an important issue to me. It is a dangerous world we're living in, and we need a defence capability. The threat is always there, even if it's manner is constantly changing. Terrorism, belligerent countries, rogue states etc. The list doesn't stop there. Where will the next threat come from? It is essential to have a strong intelligence service, a strong army, a strong navy, and a strong air force. We have those now. I'm the last person to agree with all the elements of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review. But it is a damn sight better than what independence would give us, building up our forces basically from scratch, all over again. Over 5 years? Over 10 years? With the focus in almost every discussion leaning on the removal of Trident - moving a nuclear deterrent from one part of the British Isles to another won't help nuclear disarmament. The nationalists offer 'Independence Light'. It is 'having your cake, and eating it too'. It's a case of 'I want to move out, but can I keep all of the good bits, namely the ones that benefit me?' That is what they are asking. That is what they are offering. It is a wish list that sounds too good to be true, and I have seen right through it. By reading. By watching. By listening. And, most of all, by thinking. By myself. There is information out there, for you to find for yourselves. It is up to you what you make of it. I would only say this - search through as much of it as you can, with your own eyes and ears, and using your own mind to decipher it's meaning. Don't allow power corrupted individuals to spoon feed you, or manipulate you. And always think first. "Too many questions on the viability of independence. Not enough concise, believable answers to any of them." We can build a strong Scotland, within a strong United Kingdom. The framework is already there - over 300 years of Union! Why start from scratch, when you can work to improve what already exists? That won't be easy, but independence is no instant utopia either, not for us, not even for our children or our grandchildren. It is a gamble, it is a bet that is not guaranteed to turn out well. Then the true cost of independence would be much more, and much worse, than just money alone. We might end up with a severely broken economy, and a broken country. One that is even harder to fix. Please note the word might - it isn't a certain outcome, put it is a possible outcome. I am not going to pretend that I know all the 'ins' and 'outs' of economy, or that I have any definite, intimate knowledge of what will happen. I simply do not know - any more, or any less, than anyone else. The one thing that I do know, that I am certain of is this - it is a bet that we really don't have to make. We could, and we should, build on the existing infrastructure and make it better - for Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. All of us. Promote that to the world. That is no less a positive thing to strive for - for me, in fact, it is something much more positive to aim for. To build a political and social union, made up of such distinct and unique cultures. That's an impressive idea, why throw away 300 years of that potential, of that groundwork? The question is not 'can Scotland be an independent country?', the question is 'should Scotland be an independent country?'. And I believe that the answer to that question is a very clear, a very firm, and a very respectful, no thanks. "There's only one side that's negative, bitter or talking about fear and it's not Better Together" Who came up with the terms 'Bitter Together' and 'Project Fear'? It wasn't 'Better Together'. I would be naive to believe that 'Better Together' and the no campaign have got everything right. They haven't. But that doesn't mean that there is nothing positive for the no campaign to show. There is plenty of positivity - the real achievements of over 300 years of union (science, engineering, the NHS etc.). Look at the role of Scotland in the Industrial Revolution, as part of the United Kingdom, the world would be a very different place today if the Industrial Revolution hadn't happened. Who knows how? Would I be using a computer right now? Would I be online, on the internet, tonight? Scotland and the United Kingdom have done many things that changed the world. If you set aside, for a minute, all of the things that we ever got wrong (don't ignore them, or forget them, or pretend they didn't happen - just set them aside), there are a lot of things that we got right, a lot of things that have done good together. That should be shown. It should be researched. It should be googled. And it should be praised. You have the power to do that, as an individual. Who has created the real scaremongering, that has now moved on to the NHS? Think about it. Think about who is really bitter and fearful. In some quarters, if not all. Who intimidates. Who is desperate. And who is vindictive. Who? Maybe this is only a small part of the debate, but it is there. Perhaps by those who don't really care about Scotland, whatever side they've chosen to be on. The trouble is, we don't live in a world where it is easy to say 'so and so is wrong' and 'so and so is right'. Maybe it isn't even my place to judge. Who knows? I don't condone violent, vindictive, or intimidating behaviour by any individual. On either side. It's heartbreaking that this referendum is causing behaviour such as this, and it is heartbreaking that it's causing so much hatred and division. There's too much name-calling. And a lot of people need to grow up. Who are the adults? Who are the children? A lot of this is getting rather messy. In the end, these are just my thoughts. I still have hopes, that Scotland has a bright future. But we need to work together, whatever side wins. We need tolerance. We don't need division amongst ourselves. And there shouldn't be sides. This isn't a school playground - with bullies, and those that are bullied. At least, it shouldn't be. The point scoring has to stop. I have to stop. I have to look towards positivity, and a postive thing for me is when people unite, looking towards the future together. I'm not fearful of anything, and I'm not bitter about anything. I just have great hopes that the world can unite one day, no matter how hard the process is or how long it takes it to reach fruition. It's the eternal optimist in me. I do sometimes question, I do sometimes despair, but I always find at least one small reason to hope. I think you have to make up your own mind, and balance your head and your heart. You don't have to be told (not by me, or anyone). You certainly don't have to be bullied. I believe in standing up to bullies, from whatever side they come from. Do you want to be a sheep that blindly follows? Or do you want to open your eyes, and be an individual? Real independence is being independent as people, and then uniting to work together as nations. Lets be independent people, lets make our voices heard more, and lets unite to cause change together. Maybe I'm right. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe all of this will make me unpopular in some quarters. But I can only vote from what my own head tells me, and from what my own heart feels. I believe that the United Kingdom should be together. I believe that the world should be working to be more together. Take a look at the International Space Station - isn't the human race just incredible when it works together? Really incredible, in my view. Shouldn't we be doing even more to work Better Together? I am for a United World. One that has different opinions, and one that has disagreements, yes - that's part of human nature, you can't escape that - but one that doesn't fight and squabble over things that are, on the whole, petty. Is not this beautiful Earth something that we should all cherish, and be striving towards sharing and caring for together? A beautiful home that we can all be proud of? I am ready to stand up for what I believe in. I will never give up on the United Kingdom, or in working towards a United World - where being a member of the human race is the proudest thing that you can be. 'A POSITIVE WORLD' I truly believe that the human race needs to find the real values that exist in the world around us. Values which lie in nature, and the environment, and this beautiful Earth. Not in wealth and not in power (although money does have a very important place). We need to learn to look after it all together. To share and respect our differences, as well as sharing our similarities. I think people should be getting closer together, and not getting further apart, as so often seems to be happening in the world today. I despair at the news so often. I am heartbroken by so much that happens in society. And then I find my solace. I find solace in nature. Always. Nature surprises and amazes me all the time. A walk home along by the river, after a long and stressful day, is the perfect solace for me. Let me tell you a true story. A blackbird perches delicately on a branch. It turns it's head, as though to look at me. It's eye blinks gently, and then it starts to sing. To all intents and purposes, it is singing personally to me, and it is speaking to me. Natures' soul is touching me, and it is saying - "Do not worry. Believe in me, and believe in nature, because nature believes in you. Everything will work out alright." It makes me feel positive and whole again, and I feel much more hopeful about life. A few years ago, nature gave me the hope, and the courage, and the strength, to continue my way forward, and heal myself through a very traumatic period of my life. We need to get closer to each other. We need to have better tolerance for each other. Above all, we need to get closer to nature. And we need to respect this beautiful Earth. Our shared home. So let us look at the wider world - not just at ourselves. Let us look beyond. At all the people living on this 'pale blue dot'. Let us look at having even less borders. Not more. Let us all look at the bigger picture. The reason we aren't already 'better' together, is that we live in an imperfect world, with lots of problems and lots of unfairness - in human society as a whole, not just issues that are unique to us. Problems are not unique to Scotland. Look at Syria. Iraq. Palestine and Israel. Ukraine. Regardless of how we have or haven't intervened. The list is endless. The human race has problems. And Scotland's problems don't even come near to equating with many of them - the oppression in Palestine, the war in Ukraine. It would be offensive to suggest that they do. I feel free, I feel independent, and I already have my individual voice in the world. I am using that voice now. Not all of that freedom or independence is perfect, but it could be a hell of a lot worse. It is better than it could be. Martin Luther King Jr said "An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." I think we should be saying this. We can live together as different countries, in one United Kingdom. Governing each other, Respecting each other. Working together, when it is better to do so. I happen to think that is a beautiful thing to strive for and promote - a kingdom that is united. I'm not blind - it's not perfect, it's not always fair, and there are lots of problems - but that is what we should be striving to unite FOR, to MAKE better together. Not passing blame, or bickering over cheap insults, but admitting when something is wrong, and then being a grown up and doing our best to find a solution, as a united front. Again, Martin Luther said "All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem". We should keep striving together, to try and find those solutions, to each and every problem. Independence or separation, in this form especially, just isn't in my make up. Nationalism really isn't in my make up at all. Unification of the human race, on the other hand, is. To finish with Martin Luther - "Together we can and should unite our strength for the wise preservation, not of races in general, but of the one race we all constitute - the human race." I've dealt with negatives, reached out for positives, and in the end, I've found hope. Life is a rainbow of opportunities, and the chance of amazing dreams. It's just that sometimes, well quite often actually, you have to get wet in the rain, in order to reach that otherside. To reach those dreams. Let us get wet in the rain, and reach the other side of the rainbow, together. I really hope that none of that sounds preachy. That is not my intension, my only hope is to make someone think, every now and then. I care about the United Kingdom. Above all I care about humanity. That is all. And that is why I am voting no. The video below is of our Earth, and our Moon, as seen by the Passing Juno Spacecraft. "Really reminds you just how small the human race is ... and why we should unite and do amazing things!" "The wisest voice is quiet and thoughtful, the foolish voice is loud and brash." "Don't let me make up your mind for you. Let me at least make you think ..." I will be appearing on 'The Literature Show', on shmuFM: 99.8MH, on 18th January 2014, at 18:00. Have a listen live, or catch it on the website later if you miss it! :) Link below! I'm nervous and excited, and I really can't wait! This is such a wonderful opportunity, that I am really grateful for :) A little introduction, for those who don't know me ...
I was born in Inverness, but I have lived most of my life in Ellon. I graduated with an honours degree in Zoology from the University of Aberdeen in 2004, and to write for a living has been a dream all of my life. I've written stories since I was young and have completed two Open University courses, Creative Writing in 2009/10, and Advanced Creative Writing in 2010/11. I write poetry regularly and often read it out at poetry evenings, at 'Better Read Books' Ellon. My first poetry book, 'Can't Talk, Can Think, Can Write!', was published in December 2011, and I have also had pieces of work included in three books about Doctor Who - 'You and Who' and 'You and Who: Contact Has Been Made', both by Miwk Publishing, and 'Celebrate Regenerate', published by Lulu. My motto is that 'writing is my strength, by which I live. I wondered where to place the beginning of my love of poetry. To be totally honest, I can't remember the exact moment it happened. I have vague memories of writing a World War One poem about the rapid firing of a rifle, and a much clearer memory of writing a poem that was all about food; beyond that, poetry was never something I had any great interest in. I never disliked it, I was just indifferent to it and didn't really understand what it was.
In the end, I guess it was all just a curious happenstance - we studied two particular poems at Academy, sometime between my second and fourth years. The first poem was called 'Dulce et Decorum Est' and it had a profound affect upon me, both on my thoughts and on my life. The second poem was 'Anthem for Doomed Youth' and it's affect was much the same. Key words from both those poems, and the images that they create, have remained in my mind to this day (even before I pick a book up and read them again). They're still capable of a powerful impact, almost 100 years on from when they were written, their words vividly conveying the horror & tragedy of the Great War, and of war itself. That was the first time I realised how truly powerful poetry can be at expressing a feeling or an experience, and in a way that also allows someone else (a reader or a listener) to really feel something unique too. In a strange way, it is a reflective realisation, that I came to while looking back to the past from the present. That's good - it's always welcoming to learn something new about yourself, as life is all about learning (at least, I feel it should be). The poets name is Wilfred Owen, and in these two poems (along with all of his poetry) he is immortal. Along with William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, he is without a doubt my favourite poet. I always return to Owen's work, particularly when I am looking for inspiration in my own writing, and I often think back to those two poems. I'm drawn to Owen, Wordsworth and Coleridge the most because they each connect with me in some way, deep within my soul. Like them I wish to express my experiences in life, including my love of nature and the night sky, and poetry is a remarkable way to do that. If I am able to continue a little of their inspiring tradition in any way, then it will all have been such a tremendous honour. I believe it is much fairer to allow people to discover the work of Wilfred Owen for themselves (with few SPOILERS!) and, indeed, to encourage people to buy his work (and honour the copyright); so I'll only elaborate on a line of each, from 'Dulce et Decorum Est' and 'Anthem for Doomed Youth'. That will give a good flavour of two striking pieces of prose, by someone who was (and is) a striking poet. From 'Dulce et Decorum Est' - "As under a green sea, I saw him drowning" - There's no other way to write about this without a slight SPOILER, but it works even better when not in isolation, rest assured! This is the most effective description of a gas attack that I've ever read. To equate the experience, part of it, with drowning is something that we can all relate to - being underwater, short of breath, and unable to catch it. That it is definitely one of my own fears. It really hit me, when I first read this line as a teenager - the feeling of fear, and the horror of death and suffering, that being surrounded by gas must have induced. Even then, it's still only a glimmer of what those men really went through. A strength of the whole poem, and Owen's poetry, is his effective use of analogy to give us a very real feeling, and something deep and meaningful to think about. From 'Anthem for Doomed Youth' - "Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle" - This gives me an image of rifles firing being the only sound in the air, a constant drone, with a constant field of injury and death. This is a brilliant and powerful use of alliteration, which is what gives that constant impression I feel. Owen is a master of using these different sorts of techniques in his poetry. There's a beautiful, poignant and poetic tale, of a tribute to Wilfred Owen that was completed in 2011. It was covered in a BBC radio programme, available to listen online - 'Bleached Bone and Living Wood'. There is also an audio slideshow that is worth giving a look & listen - 'Wilfred Owen: From humble cottage to dazzling tribute'. The audio for the slideshow may only be available to those in the UK, I'm not sure (if so, I apologise), but there is enough there to read and research further about. In turning over my thoughts, about what to write in this opening article, I picked up my copy of Wilfred Owen's 'The War Poems' again, and I had a scan through the extremely illustrative introduction. I noticed one particular paragraph towards the end. It related that it was Owen's wish to help the men under his command, both "directly by leading them" (as "an officer") and "indirectly, by watching their sufferings that I may speak of them" (as "a pleader"). He managed to achieve both (although he only believed that he'd achieved the former) and he was awarded the Military Cross. Then the final line hit me - that he didn't live to wear his award, or to see the majority of his poems published. He did not live to see that he would always be remembered. That is the real tragedy of men like Wilfred Owen. In the greatness of his writing, we can (and must) ensure that his name remains forever immortal. Not just as a tribute to him, but as a tribute to all those young men. Let everyone be worth something, big or small, and their memory live eternal. Reference: Wilfred Owen - The War Poems, edited by Jon Stallworthy, Chatto & Windus Limited, 1994 (reprinted 2000, 2001), ISBN 0-7011-6126-4. No copyright infringement is intended in any of my article. |
Robert Morrison
(a little bit about me!) Subscribe to my blog below:
Archives
August 2015
Categories
All
© Robert Morrison, 2019
The copyright in all material appearing on this website remains with the author. No part of this website may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. |