Oct 19 2007
"When can we go back to Scotland?"
This is a question I’ve been asking myself a great deal over the last day or so.
Many of you might know that I usually listen to an Internet radio station that I stream from my house. This is nice because it affords me the opportunity to listen to my mp3’s, etc. at work. However, the stream has been pretty busted lately, so I’ve been finding alternate music to listen to. Yesterday, I started listening to Highlander Radio at http://www.celticradio.net, which, while pleasant, was a very bad idea.
After about an hour, a spoken word piece came on, and it was spoken by a guy with an awesome Glaswegian accent. My eyes teared up, and I realized just how much I missed Scotland. This is when I began asking myself the question that is the title of today’s post.
When I was there this past summer, it was kind of surreal; almost as though I were dreaming it. I remember so many little details of being there, from our first walk down Saltmarket Street in Glasgow, to our time in Drymen, to our enjoyment of the Royal Mile of Edinburgh, there are so many things that I miss.
Quite some time ago, I wrote a piece about missing a country in which I have never been. (http://blog.thedow.org/?p=15) I see now what I was missing. I see now what drew me there. Nothing could have prepared me for the tie that I would feel to Scotland. I remember everything passing in a blur while we were there, but now that I am not there, I feel a lack…I feel as though I am missing a part of myself; as though I left part of me with the people of Scotland, with the beautiful landscapes we were privileged to see.
At this time, it’s looking like it’s going to be a long time before I can return to Scotland with my lovely bride, but I’m going to keep asking myself that question. “When can we go back to Scotland?” Perhaps one day, the answer will be “Next year”, or “Later this year”, or, Lord willing, “We’re there, Chris.”
