scottish pride

Subtitle: Making my own national identity

Preamble:
Though it's mildly fallen out of fashion in North America, the British still loooove to be PC. A large part of this is ensuring ethnic diversity in companies. As such, any job application you fill out requests that you identify yourself with one of a long list of racial groups.

Other objections aside (potential for reverse discrimination etc) I always resent being made to choose. Afterall, I could check the box beside "White - English", but that would preclude me checking the box beside "White - Irish", and checking either would mean denying my paternal "White - German" heritage, which is not even agiven option (obviously neither is the "Colour withheld - Canadian" classification). You can understand my predicament.

Solution:
I went to Brighton this week, too briefly, to meet with our design agency.

Over lunch, our designer Fiona asked me how long I'd been living here.

My straightforward reply was, "well, we've been in England for about a month, but we lived in Scotland for almost two years before that."

She guffawed and made me repeat what I'd said for the rest of the table. They all reacted with similar glee, but the joke was lost on me!

Someone explained that they would never make that distinction, and before I could explain that this was because they're not Scottish, the onslaught began:

"I confess I'm bothered by the increasing number of Scottish accents in parliament."

"Sure, they want 'independence' but they don't want FINANCIAL independence!"

"Andy Murray was such an arse at Wimbledon."

"The oil industry isn't as significant to our economy as they think."

"The only good things to come out of Scotland are whiskey and footballers!"

"Haggis is vile."

"It's bloody cold in Aberdeen, why would anyone live there?"

okay, so the last comment was mine...

All this to say, I suddenly felt VERY defensive. I made my case - haggis is quite nice with a spot of gravy - but no one was convinced of Scotland's merits.

I had an inward pout and it occured to me that Scotland has become part of my identity (though yes my accent is rubbish). Sure, I have my own things to say about Scottish food and weather, but that's just it - I feel I've sort of earned my right to slag Scotland, in the same way black kids are allowed to use racial slurs. I know and love the people there, and can even understand the crazy North East Doric.

On the train home, I resolved that my British identity henceforth shall be connected to the Scots. Kilts and thistles and Mel Gibson statues and all that jazz. No more puzzling over check boxes!