"O Caledonia! stern and wild, Meet nurse for a poetic child! Land of brown heath and shaggy wood, Land of the mountain and the flood, Land of my sires! what mortal hand Can e'er untie the filial band, That knits me to thy rugged strand!" - Sir Walter Scott
I have always rooted for the underdog in impartial situations. If two sports teams are playing one another and there is a clear disparity between the two, I tend to cheer for the team whom the odds are against (unless it's the Los Angeles Lakers, Dodgers, or Kings of course!). Scotland and Ireland are the underdogs of the British Isles. They've been trampled on by the English for hundreds of years. Perhaps that is why I connect with the people and their cultures.
Bagpipes are an odd instrument. They can easily become grating to the listener under certain circumstances. They produce a shrill noise to say the least. Yet, when I hear them, it is easy for me to sense the pride that courses through the Scottish people. The national anthem and "Amazing Grace" are frequently played by street performers. The songs sound stately, proud, and beautiful. The bagpipes are the voice of the people and the land they inhabit. Truthfully, they are the voice of my ancestors; my past. I am from the United States and happy to be a citizen of its shores, yet I cannot disconnect myself from this place. My family tree is deeply rooted here and the people who preceded my left behind a strong legacy for me to stand upon. Thank God for them, and thank God for the opportunity I have to reflect upon their existence; their role in my life as I move the family line forward into the future.
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