I saw a country of proud people whose contributions to science, economics, literature, philosophy, and theology have profoundly changed the world and will continue to do so. I believe that today, this nation of 5 million-plus people is one of the planet’s great countries and Edinburgh one of its finest cities. 

I saw a city in which a medieval castle that sits on an extinct volcano broods over the life of the world beneath it. Edinburgh Castle was my North Star. Even when it wasn’t visible, it seemed to always be in my consciousness. On nights when I thought that I might have lost my direction, it would eventually pop into view so that I could orient myself and find my way home. I came to see this as a source of comfort and hope.   

I saw that civility and a sense of the common good can have a significant impact on the quality of life in a society. We in the United States should remember that civility matters and that reasonable people can differ. All that said, if you want to test Scottish politeness, just try buying an item in a store about 5 minutes before closing time. Go ahead, I dare you! Better still, see what happens if you jump the queue at an Edinburgh bus stop!

I saw a city that loves dogs and is loved by dogs. 

Edinburghians are avid about their doggies and there are many beautiful specimens here. Something about the weather, especially in summer, makes pooches seem to bounce around parks such as Inverleith and the Meadows as though their joy had freed them from the forces of gravity. The most famous dog in the city is Greyfriars Bobby, whose statue is a landmark that is near the entrance of Greyfriars Kirk.

I saw my wife, Teresa, grow from a post-graduate student full of self-doubt into a scholar. She did this by vigilantly seeking to be creative, keeping an open mind about ideas that she had once openly questioned, and by dint of sustained, hard work.  

I saw my daughter, Katie McCaskill, use her intelligence, creativity and spunk to develop her own business as a makeup artist. I’m so proud of her efforts to build her website, learn how to network, and apply her innate talents. She has become an artist and a businesswoman.

I saw that the face of a town as old as Edinburgh appears to be unchanging so that when a new store replaces an old one you can sometimes feel a jab of displeasure. It is a kind of disappointment that can happen when, after having awoken from a pleasurable dream, you wind up chiding yourself for having been fooled again.  

I saw my best friend from childhood die tragically, most likely because of medical negligence. My response was to write a song called “The Riven World.” I learned that while art can sometimes transmute loss into something beautiful and even redemptive, this has tended to be more true, at least in my case, in instances where a song or piece of writing is experienced vicariously. I felt the loss of my friend first-hand rather than as an observer taking in an imaginary song or story.  So while I do acknowledge that the process of organizing an experience of loss into a narrative and melody can be cathartic, I have come to believe that some forms of loss are irrevocable. Those around us that we grow to love become a part of us, and when we lose them, we lose a part of ourselves. I now understand this as a larger part of mourning than I had previously imagined.