The Fourth of July in Scotland



     
     During the summer of 2004 we were spending a month seeing Scotland. On the north coast, not far from Saint Andrews, is the pretty little fishing village of Crail. We just happened upon it. Lovely place, it is.
     We stayed in a bed and breakfast run by a retired bobby and his wife. They set a lovely breakfast - full English as it is called.
     We knew that there was a another American staying there along with several couples from other places on the planet. We try and stay away from Americans in Europe, as we can see them at home.
     A young woman came bounding in to the breakfast room. She sat at the table next to us and, as is our custom, we struck up a conversation. It happened that she had just graduated from UC San Diego and this was a graduation trip.
     After breakfast, she came over to our table and bent down close and whispered, "Happy Independence Day."
     Indeed, it was the Fourth of July. We had forgotten.
     They do not celebrate it. There are no fireworks or parades. In fact, they do not seem excited about it at all.  We did not test this, however.
     The people of the UK did not lose the war, you know. Some read their history as the British people of America overthrew the bad King George and so the British actually won a civil war.
     I must admit that every July 4th for the last decade, I think of that young woman in the bed and breakfast in Crail and the secret, silent celebration we shared.