Andrew MacLaren-Scott's Blog, page 41

Old Strathearn full of mist

Wherever next?

We are already five days into the real new year, after spinning through the solstice, and what have you done, and where are you going, who with and why, as we are all on a track, but with options of junctions, to move, to live, to try?

Merry Whatever...

from me, my lady, and two creatures we created in a couple of pleasant collaborations long ago

Solsticial slumber

It is good to remember that within the bare bones of bleak midwinterthere lies the potential for revival, waiting to stir, and to bud and springas the sun is already rising higher in the sky, rebornA cause for a minor re-creation of ancient feasting, methinks,for the turning of the year is, of course, the real reason for the season

Season's Greetings

December

Light at the bottom of the year?

The days at the bottom of the year, that's what these days are, up here. The cold, the dark, the fear, in older days, that the sun would disappear; prompting dread, and horrors of sacrifice and outrage, to appease those gods that are not here. It happens again. It happens every year. The feasts of Saturnalia and other nonsenses draw near. The lights, the sights, the stuffing in of oft' unwanted damn good cheer. Happy nonsense everybody. Happy nothing. Happy miserable merriment, often fake and forced and hated, bloody merry muddled mixed up mess of maudlin madness, maybe, maybe manageable, just, without more damn tears from you again, my dears.

Trust

I will never be trusted again, by one individual anyway, as a result of something I felt obliged to say in a court of law, given that I was under oath to “tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” So I told the truth, and the response to telling the truth made me ponder the concept of trust, and as a result I suggest that nobody should ever trust anybody, not because trust cannot be relied upon to be justified, although it can’t, but because trust should rarely be required. In place of trust we should have honesty. The problem with trust being invoked is that it is so often invoked as a chain to bind someone into possible dishonourable collaboration. Thus after swearing to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth in a court of law, is a person to avoid telling the whole truth because to do so would be perceived as betraying a trust? I suggest a person should not perform the activity that would require someone else to be trusted not to reveal it; or at the the very least, and most cynical, should not tell anybody else about an activity or opinion that they would not want that other person to reveal if they were placed in the rather serious position of having to swear in a court of law to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. However… There is the complication of how one might get into that position in the first place, by discussing with someone else the issue that another person is apparently trusting one with. But the fact that such trust would be required indicates, does it not, that it would be a bad thing that had been done, given that one was apparently being trusted not to reveal it. I suggest people should not reveal to other people things they would not want revealed to a wider audience if any of those other people ended up in a court of law and under oath to tell that damn difficult and awkward thing: “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth”. I also suggest, to myself, that I should just keep my mouth shut more often… but then as soon as I suggest that a little voice in my mind tells me that keeping my mouth shut would often mean covering up an injustice, or a misdemeanour, or worse. Perhaps I need to make a badge to wear on my lapel that simply says: “Tell me nothing”. If people told me nothing then they would not have to endure the uncomfortable consequences of seeing me pause, hesitate, shake my head a little while pondering what to say, and then while under oath proceeding to the tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth… the whole damn lot of it. The penalty for not proceeding in that manner can be, and often is, jail. Thus I am not only untrustworthy but also unforgivably selfish, for I am not prepared to go to jail for not having told the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Untrustworthy, selfish… I am indeed a rogue. Anyway, the real rogue avoided the deserved fate in any case, by sticking to the right of silence and thus not having to face the dilemma under oath that I had to face. A witness has no right to silence, but a person accused does have. They call this justice. I should have just said, “I can’t remember,” apparently. I may try to remember that. No I won't.

It's Still December

Read all about me?

If you click this link you will have the questionable delight of finding me - the real me not the MacLaren-Scott dubious writing me - smiling out at you on page 4 and with a wee Q&A interview across pages 4 and 5, and I am honoured to be featured in the University of Cambridge Chemistry magazine.