Ignorance is bliss

Ignorance is bliss

“What do you miss about Britain?” I asked my father a few months after he and my mother moved to France in 2010. He thought for a moment: "I'm not sure I necessarily miss Britain, but there are certain things I know I miss out on," he replied. "I feel bad that I won't vote. Like I'm letting someone down..."

I'm thinking about this now, almost a month into our trip, because in just over a week there will be a referendum on independence in Scotland. Even if I cannot take part in the vote, the result will affect me deeply.

I'm British (not English), my surname (Watson) is Scottish - and we have our own tartan, I spent my teenage summers in Scotland and I still take regular trips north of the border for camping and mountaineering. I love Scotland and I love the Scots; it and they are part of the country I come from. This country could splinter.

I'm not even sure what I want the outcome to be. As I said, I consider myself British and for me Great Britain includes Scotland. Having said that, I believe in democracy and equality and if Scots think they would be better off as an independent nation and vote that way then I can't disagree with that.

If I were in London, I would be glued to my laptop, watching the news and reading newspapers, studying the latest polls, analyzing editors' opinions, following debates.

Instead, out here, thousands of miles away, I'm thinking about the best way to open a coconut, where we'll stay in Fiji, and whether or not we'll head to Iririki Island for a swim and lunch later today - fair enough, superficial stuff. I'm 100% sure I'd rather be here than in London, but I can't shake the feeling that I'm missing out.

In about eight months there will be another important vote - the UK elections. And unless our resources are drastically reduced, I will probably miss this vote too. Once again it will be a big one as there could be several possibilities: a Conservative or Labor win or another right-wing coalition are all possible.

Anyone who knows me also knows how hurt I was after the last election results and the profound changes that have affected my country since then. Wherever I end up being at the time of the election (somewhere in South America, I assume), I'm sure that's where I'd rather be, but I also think I'll feel like I'm missing out on something.

It's not just about politics, but about news in general. I read today that a ceasefire has been agreed, at least temporarily, in Ukraine. This is the first event I've really recorded about the crisis in several weeks.

I realize that I have no idea what is happening or has happened in Gaza, Syria and the rest of the Middle East - they were all headlines when I left. UK and world news in general is all a bit disjointed and distant - I feel like it doesn't affect me at the moment and so I feel ignorant and guilty. I understand what my father meant. Not only am I missing something, but I'm also letting someone down.

On the other hand, Norwich have played five games so far this football season and I haven't seen a single one of them. The England cricket team is beaten by India in the one-day series and not once did I cry out in despair as we gave up another wicket cheaply. Rosberg and Hamilton went wheel to wheel and collided at the Belgian Grand Prix, and I couldn't hold my breath in anticipation the whole time.

It's a strange feeling to miss something. This trip is something I have been thinking about for over a year. I planned for this trip and saved for this trip and I sacrificed for this trip and that's why I think I deserve this trip. I wouldn't want to go home, open my laptop, read the newspaper and watch TV instead. Instead, I would miss this trip.

I think the most important thing is to remember that there will probably only be a few times in my life that I get to take a trip like this. It's okay to miss news and some events. It's okay to be a little ignorant every now and then. And it's okay not to feel every agony of another disappointing Norwich season - it'll probably be better for my health anyway.

Whether I am in the UK or not, the Scottish people will vote for their future, the UK will elect another incompetent political leader, the Middle East will remain unstable and the English batsmen will continue to go for ducks. I'll have plenty of time to look after these things in the future and I'd be a fool to think I could change them from my flat in East London.

Maybe ignorance is bliss for just a year.
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