Interesting current facts plus views of Scotland
"The great majority of people in the world are
living at middle-income levels." Rosling
I am reading a book called
“Factfulness” by Hans Rosling. It is about the misconceptions held by many
people on Earth about the present state of the world. Apparently most of us
have a world-view that is 50 years old. It is so important to decision-making,
both personally and politically that we know the current facts about our world.
In a recent trip to Scotland I was able to see the changes of the last 50 years
for myself.
In 1968, I went to the United
Kingdom for the first time. I endured cheese sandwiches that tasted like
cardboard, toilet tissue with the texture of waxed paper, questionable public
toilet facilities and saw many Britons with poor teeth. In 2018, I was aware of
how prosperous Scotland has become. Tasty meals, soft toilet tissue, cleans and
new public toilets, healthy, well looked after and very friendly people were
evidence of the changes.
Happily these changes are
widespread in the world according to Rosling, with the great majority of people
living at middle-income levels.
Scotland is a beautiful country
with traditions that both Scott and I enjoy. We counted it a privilege to
travel on tour with the Pipes and Drums of Canada. While based in Edinburgh, we
travelled to various places where the band paraded and, of course, we went to
the renowned Edinburgh Tattoo. It can only be described in superlatives! Here
are some of the places we visited while on tour.
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| The band playing in the Square for the citizens of Carlisle |
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| The band and colour party parading in Perth | |
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| Flowers on the City Hall building in Perth |
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| More beauty in St. Andrews |
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| Beautiful Drum Castle |
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| Landscape in the Highlands |
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| A fairy tale castle in pink |
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| Interesting pubs, of course |
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| A view of Holyrood Castle in Edinburgh |
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| Such and honour to be with the Pipes and Drums of Canada at the Gathering in Braemar with Queen Elizabeth and members of the Royal Family |
By The Way: Travelling is enlightening because it lets you see
the conditions in a country first-hand when you mingle with the local people.
