As I sat at the dining table with my 2nd cup of coffee this morning, I thought about Scotland, the land of lochs and glens, and its vote tomorrow to break away from England and become an independent country. I thought immediately of my grandfather who was born in Blantyre and what he would think. I didn't have to dwell on that thought--I knew the answer...he would vote for independence.
He was the most amazing and independent man, one who migrated to the United States when he was 21 going through Ellis Island, to a country where he had no friends or family. His first job was sweeping floors at Thomas Edison's factory in West Orange, New Jersey, a place where he rubbed elbows with the greatest inventor who changed the world forever. Later, through hard work and dedication, he opened his own manufacturing plant in Newark, New Jersey and by the time he was 35, he had reached that "dream." He was living the American dream, in his new country that he loved where he was a citizen and one that gave him opportunity, in a country that boasts 5 million with Scottish ancestry, more than all of Scotland put together.
I believe that he would have some trouble accepting Scotland's social welfare point of view but with independence, Scotland would have closer ties with other Scandinavian countries, especially Norway where his wife, my grandmother, was born. Initial plans have already been drawn up for an electricity super-grid between Scotland and Norway.
My grandfather thought of his Scottish roots with pride. His Scottish shillelagh was near his favorite chair along with his books on Scotland that I have to this day. A map of Scotland adorned his room. Every year he visited his homeland, a beautiful country. He would be 124 years old today, and if he were here he would say, "Vote for Independence, don't be afraid; rely on yourself; remember Robert the Bruce--rely on the wildcard--Scotland's citizens and its great assets especially its oil.
