I've been gone for a few weeks on a grand adventure to Scotland.  I've always wanted to go to Scotland because of the rich mythical tradition and the fascinating history.  The picture below was taken at the base of an amazing and beautiful waterfall near Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in Scotland. I felt absolutely peaceful as I sat beneath the water giant.  The sound of the rushing water filled my ears and brought tremendous joy.  You can see in the second picture the enormity of this waterfall...can you imagine?
Picture
Picture
One of the things that I learned while in Scotland is how dedicated I am to the idea of self-determination.  I was thunderstruck by a repeated pattern seen in the history of countries  all over the world...the pattern went something like this:  One group (political, religious, ideological) does not approve of another's thinking so they come in to destroy and annihilate that viewpoint and people.  The new ideology lasts until another group gathering and garnishing power repeats these actions taking out another ideology...sound familiar?  It struck me...is it not possible for us to co-exist?  to value and appreciate that this is a place of multiple perspectives and ideologies?  I can think differently than you and still love you and be your friend.  Perhaps, I can learn from your thinking and conversely, you can learn from mine.  As I visited Wallace Monument and multiple castles and Church ruins, the stories were the same.  Have we learned?  Is it possible for people to agree to disagree and leave it at that?  Perhaps in some cases yes and in others no...I can think of lots of examples...but perhaps if we reached for more of coexistence, especially in our personal circles, we take a small step towards learning...I don't know...it's just what I'm thinking about after an amazing visit to Scotland.
Picture