After the Referendum...............

............................Well, wasn't that a roller coater of 24 hours, topping off 2 years of debating, talking and working out what way to vote.

And working out WHY you wanted to vote that way.

It's now Sunday evening. Nearly 3 days since the polls closed at 10pm on Thursday evening.
My life hasn't changed THAT much in the past few days.
I still listen to Peter laughing at whatever he has on his laptop, or whatever DVD he's watching.
I'm still listening to Paul doing his music practice.
Matthew still going off to work in the morning, Lou popping in and out and the cats still need fed.

But yet.................................

I still feel as if my country is changing and i'm not sure what to make of it.

Scotland voted No to independence last Thursday.. Yes - it was a 55/45% . Enough to ensure it was an ok result, but not exactly a thumping "we want to stay in the Union" vote.
After all. 1.6 million of the registered electorate voted to GO.

That is a fair number of people in a small country.

I kind of came late to deciding what way to vote.
Some of the girls on a carers group were more active about the referendum than I was.
But about 4 or 5 months ago, I had a chat with one of the Dads at art class. I kind of wanted to see what others were thinking.
He explained Constitutional Law (well, as best you can in a short time) and I began to think "not fair" when he told me of things.
So I asked more questions of people and kind of got to the stage I knew i'd vote yes.

But it was annoying that the leaders of the 3 main Parties barely looked in our direction.

They were telling us from afar "don't leave - we love you".

Eventually, hoddit, doddit and the other one,........................... Sorry, Cameron, Clegg and Milliband got there act in gear and got on a train to Glasgow.

But just seeing them on the news made ne want to stick my foot through the tv and certainly didn't want me to vote for them.

I was at a meeting with the DFM last Tuesday, along with about 20 other carers. This was a great morning - I was so inspired by these woman, who till then, I had only met on line. (and a couple of guys as well!!)

Each one of us asked questions and we got answers.

If I hadn't already known I was voting yes, I would have decided there and then that I was.

But alas, the results were not to be.


The aftermath............................

Well, Friday night in Glasgow city centre was not a nice place to be - and I am so glad I wasn't there.
But the less said about that the better.

What IS annoying me - and many more - is the fact that Hoddit, doddit and the spare promised things for the Friday if it was a no vote. They would look after us.

But the goalposts have been moved and we still wait to see what they will offer.

I have heard that at least one ex Home Secretary has said that wanting to be independent of the UK should be banned.

(Please remind me where I live. Is it the UK in the 21st century, or Russia/Eastern Europe in the 1950's or in a part of the world where you are not even allowed to vote, never mind even think that you could get up and aske for independence????)

BUT  - what has happened is that people have come out in their thousands, millions to vote either way .

They have talked, discussed, argued, persuaded.

No longer will we be silent.

Lynne, Fiona, Jacqui and Kathy - and all the others in our carers on line group, it will be a privilege working with you in whatever way to get out message across, make people listen to what we have to say and work towards making sure that not only are our politicians held to account, but working towards another referendum, whenever that will be.

One more day...........................

..............one more day to the referendum.

We have listen to debates, talked to friends, work mates, even talked to random strangers.

We've read the fliers, the books, the pamphlets and the papers.

Some of us have even wanted to put our foot through the TV when things have been said!!!

So you'd think we'd know what way we're voting.

But some still don't know.....

That is their right, I suppose, but I am hoping that people do come out and vote. I do care how the vote goes, but I also respect other peoples wishes and I am not going to jump on them and tell them they are wrong.

What I WILL say is this - I have met a lot of people on line who have been passionate about what they have to say. I have talked to people and learned a few things - which is no bad thing.

And yesterday, I got to meet some of the on line carers that I have got to know.

About 20 of us had a meeting with the Deputy First Minister.

First of all, it was a privilege to meet these carers, who I "just" knew from FaceBook. It was as if I had known them for years and they were all so passionate about their caring rolls. Not all of them care for young children, some care for adults children, some for parents, some for partners.
We all have different issues, different things we wanted to ask, but to be honest, when I heard the questions, any one of them could have been asked by any of the carers.

The DFM sat with us and we told our concerns - individually.
She listened and never once said that any issue we raised was stupid or not worth giving a reply to.

Even the people who were undecided, she gave us all time.

To be honest, up till about a year ago, for me, she was just a Politician you saw on the news.
Then, one evening, while visiting a friend whose son had just died, she came in to pay her respects and talk to the family.
No big show, no fanfare of trumpets. It wasn't till my daughter nudged me and said "look who has walked in".

She didn't need to be there.
She could have turned up to make herself look good.
But she didn't.
She just wanted to help comfort a family at a time they were grieving - just like everyone else who was in the house that night.

So she certainly went up in my estimation.

And yesterday, listening to us all - she could have said she didn't have time, but she made the time.
There were tv crews and cameras.
But they were asked to leave so we could talk without wondering if what we said would be taken out of context or twisted by some one.

The best photo for me tho, was the one with the DFM munching one of the cakes that Fiona had made!!! She actually made cake eating look almost good!!! (the cakes were lovely - right down to the little signs that said yes!!!)

So Lynn, Fiona, Colette, Alison and all the rest - it was great to meet you and I would love to do something again (even after the referendum with no tv cameras!!!)

And whatever the result, work on the future of Scotland starts 9am Friday morning.
If Fiona brings the cakes, i'll make the tea!!!!