Lessons Learned

MB just spent the last 2 or 3 hours in the company of good Scottish friend (SF). Sipping tasty red wine. SF played a youtube video of Scottish music on the TV while the French red vino flowed.

Actually, the Scottish music video included some Irish music. No problem there. Scottish and Irish music are rooted in a similar history. And make great background to ‘vino sipping’ activities. And many famous Celtic folk pieces are of unknown history. They could be from one or the other origin.

Irish or Scottish.

Later, in the Appalachian mountains in USA in particular, an area in North East USA stretching into Southern Canada, Scots Irish music became the foundation of American folk & country music. With musical Instruments brought to the new lands on coffin ships from the old lands. Many pieces still played today in that region are long descended versions of music pieces or songs from hundreds of years back from Scotland or Ireland. The Yankees play them a little differently than they are played in Ireland or Scotland to this day. But same pieces. Check it all out on Youtube, where readers can find lots of vids on this subject matter.

The ties that bind.

During vino chat, MB discovered dad of SF, worked in Stephens Ship Yard in Glasgow many years back in the same era that Scottish comedian Billy Connolly worked as a young apprentice in the same shipyards on the River Clyde. Dad of SF did not know Bill Connolly very well. Billy’s job, as a young apprentice, included the duty of making tea for the shipyard workers in his section, in which dad of SF worked. Billy served tea to dad of SF on occasion.

When Billy moved on from the shipyards, which are the subject matter of some of his very humourous stories, he turned to music and was involved in a folk group with Gerry Rafferty of ‘Baker Street’ fame, called the Humblebums. His chats between tunes soon became more entertaining than the pieces themselves. A comedy career was born.

Many years later, dad of SF happened to attend a Shipyard reunion in the Claicaig Inn in Glencoe. In walked Billy Connolly. He referred to dad of SF by his nickname, nicknames being a common thing back home, rather than his real name, upon saying hello. He remembered dad of SF very well.

Nice story.

One that MB would not have known were it not for the current situation.

MB has noticed a change for the better within people at large, of late.

People are returning to the values from days of their parents and grandparent. Adopting the telling of stories and the playing of tunes. Enjoying simpler things. Sharing family and village photos. Enjoying the closeness of family. Sharing paintings they painted. Stupid jokes. Funny jokes.

But all trying to lift the mood as best they can.

Mostly succeeding.

Despite dark shadows.

Maybe all due to a new higher level of tolerance amongst people, as they have slowed down, become less stressed, and have withdrawn, to a large degree, from the rat-race. A situation forced upon many, as they kicked and screamed and railed against the new reality, imposed for the greater good. Which most have now come to now reluctantly realise, is actually for the greater good.

League tables don’t lie.

The Indian Angel that issues the daily messages from MB’s company HR Department said today:

“It may be stormy now, but it doesn’t rain forever.”

SF and MB wondered if people will retain the older better values when the rain stops pouring?

MB, being an optimist by nature, though yes. SF, who is more of a glass-half-empty disposition, thinks maybe not.

Here’s to glasses half full.

Slainte.