A historic day. History in the making. Changing the course of history. Such terms have been bandied around a lot recently in the British press. Putting my historians hat on, and yes that is ultimately my background, I cannot help but chuckle in that everything that ever happens changes history. Indeed everything has a history a fact that dawned on me when under pressure during my PGCE days. The question though is will historic days be remembered? Most events are not recalled. Only the big ones are recorded for posterity.
Today is polling day north of the border. Scotland votes on whether it becomes independent. Not all Scots get a vote, those living in England are excluded. Tomorrow we will wake up to something new or a modified same. Living in a democracy the Scots are very lucky to have that option. Not all around the world have the right to self determination via the ballot box. I do not know what the outcome will be. Neither really do my Scottish friends who do not get to vote. The Nationalists say the better together campaign is running scared. I might agree with them bearing in mind they have wheeled out the man I called the "arrogant one" in Charon's Ferry, the former Prime Minister Gordon Brown. But he was always popular in Scotland.
What strikes me from what I have followed and struggled to understand is that there are an awful lot ifs and buts should Scotland vote for independent. Battles won on rhetoric, nationalism and emotion seem to be devoid of much solid planning on how Scotland will run itself. Yet that is for them to decide.
Among the right wingers who drink in the Hedgehog at least one is hoping they go on the grounds that would guarantee a Tory victory in English elections for the foreseeable future.
We will learn tomorrow what will happen. For now I still work through the quiet inertia of the remaining days before the students return. It will not last.
I Heard a Voice.
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