So here I am with my first blog post and I’m strangely at odds as to what to write about. My mind is being pulled in too many directions.

But with the looming possibility of Scottish Independence on the horizon I seem to have homed in on that word and what it means to me.

Firstly – I am fiercely independent. Not a day goes by that I’m not grateful for living in a society in which I, as a female, can choose whether or not to have children, who I’m dating and what I’m doing with my life. Lucky indeed.

Similarly I admire independent and non-conformist people – my close friends all fall into that category. People who aren’t afraid to have their own take on life, are rather eccentric and have strong personalities. Taking that they also have a strong moral code (no Alistair Crowley fans in my circle).

Musically too, I like independent thinkers. People who don’t feel they need to be part of a ‘tribe’ to dictate their tastes. And of course I would say that, being eclectic to the extreme. Perhaps we are all part of a tribe after all: the ‘Independence Tribe’ who rarely agree on anything apart from being open-minded.

Strange then that I cannot see the benefits of Scotland setting out on its own. Surely when it comes to society as a whole we will always be stronger together. Stronger in trade, in support, in cohesion. The thought of countries breaking off into smaller and smaller chunks strikes me as terribly regressive. Whatever your views on Europe – and yes, there are many things which need to be radically improved – it has kept wars at bay for many many years. I know I won’t see global cohesion in my lifetime, but surely this is something to strive for. Then we can each be an independent entity within a working whole.

Thank you for reading this and feel free to chip in.
Doris