Help! I've been strapped into an emotional rollercoaster
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
I DON’T know about you, but it’s felt like there has been an awful lot to chew over this week.
And I’m not talking about the eye-popping, diet-destroying, al fresco banquet rustled up by neighbours for the first-of-its-kind street party round our way, either.
Chances are you’ll have attended or even hosted something similar yourself over the past few days — and that is regardless of your stance on the monarchy.
The Diamond Jubilee celebrations have brought out the full gamut of opinion and emotion — ranging from glassy-eyed "proud to be British" patriotism to complete and utter disdain for all the fuss.
In between, there has been a fair degree of indifference and uncertainty.
Here in Scotland, of course, the jubilee extravaganza has clashed head-on with the start of an unprecedented two-year period of soul-searching on what could be the biggest constitutional change since the Act of Union in 1707.
Perhaps that’s why it’s felt a bit like being strapped in to a runaway emotional rollercoaster this past couple of weeks.
We’re being asked to say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to independence. Big question. On top of that, appeals are being made to our sense of ‘Britishness’ and loyalty to the monarch.
I thought First Minister Alex Salmond summed it up rather well when he said the Queen "has given Scotland 60 years of unparalleled service", and that the jubilee weekend "will offer the people of Scotland a fantastic opportunity to celebrate that service and reflect on her reign".
He was speaking at the launch of a Queen of Scotland app aimed at highlighting her role in this country over the past six decades. All of this feeds in to the bigger questions about the vision for Scotland — a theme also taken up this week by the Electoral Reform Society which is looking for 129 MSPs (Members of the Scottish Public) to gather in Edinburgh next month to tell it as they see it. You can see the full story on our website.
So — British, Scottish...or both? Or perhaps none of the above?
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always considered myself both — as well as being European and ‘a citizen of the world’ into the bargain.
It’s probably not the most fashionable time to be harping on about Europe.
I blame being thrown into a two-week school exchange trip to France at the age of 16 — and then getting hooked on ultra-cheap InterRail deals as a student.
None of this helps in coming up with a nice, clear-cut answer to a seemingly simple question.
Perhaps that’s why the mind was working overtime at what turned out to be a very pleasant street party. Word on the street — quite literally in this case — was that everyone had a good time.
Round our way, it was the first time it had ever happened.
In several cases, folk were properly meeting and introducing themselves to ‘neighbours’ they’d lived next to for years.
Why? Because someone decided to instigate a street party to celebrate the remarkable longevity of a woman none of us are ever likely to meet but of whom most of us have known all of our lives.
As head of tribe, the Queen was the social glue binding us all together.
I can’t conceive ever buying something with a Union Jack printed on it — and if I see the flag flying over a civic building in Scotland, the first thought will be why not the Saltire?
All the same, I’ll confess to hairs rising on the back of my neck when I see the Union Jack being raised against the backdrop of the national anthem in celebration of a gold medal-winning athelete at the Olympics.
That said, the Olympic sensation pales in comparison to the palpitations brought on by Archie Gemmill scoring that goal against Holland during the World Cup finals in Argentina in 1978.
Come to think of it, wee Archie, a Scottish hero who has also won a European Cup winners medal with Nottingham Forest, has written an autobiography which might shed some light on all of this.
It’s title?
Both Sides of the Border ...
