Part of our interest in this trip was to learn a little more about the Scotsmen that ultimately emigrated to the new world. We wanted to understand what helped form their world views and how some of those views might be still influencing our politics today. As we struggle with the fact that political views, religious beliefs, and fierce "tribal loyalties" (political party) continue to create so much conflict in our country, it is clear that some of what we experience is inherent in being human.
However, one thing that intrigued me through this program was Scotland's greater emphasis on "the common good" versus the highly individual rights that America seems to value. For example, our leader Linda told us that one of Scotland's essential values was that an educated society was critical, so every person in Scotland can have a "first college degree" for free. This is just one example that Linda shared . . . And really got me thinking about if our own country could benefit from a little more emphasis on viewing the common good . . .
We have loved our introduction into Scotland's history and culture. Now we are ready to start the hiking part of our trip! We hop on the train today to Tyndrum where we meet up with Kevin, Kris, Tom, and Chanda. Looking forward to posting more about our hiking in the Highlands!
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