At 10:02 AM on Monday the 21st of October 2002, I was born in the maternity wing of Simpsons Memorial Hospital in Edinburgh, Scotland. I spent the first five years of my life living fifteen minutes away from the center of downtown Edinburgh. I loved my life in Scotland. My entire family lived so close to me, and there was a real familiarity about living there. However, in 2008 my mother came back from work one day and told us she was offered this amazing opportunity to work and live in the United States. After lots of detailed planning, we packed up everything we owned and moved a couple months later. We settled in Winnetka due to the great schools nearby and the closeness to my mother’s job downtown. As I began my new life in Chicago, it was apparent the difference between my two lives. I had to adapt to my new life in America in so many ways. In my old life in Scotland I had a routine. I would run to catch the massive double decker bus in the morning, in my maroon colored school uniform that would take my sister and me to school. On my way I would pass my grandma’s house, where I would go every Wednesday night after school and most Sunday to have special dinners with my family relatives. In the background, were the large rolling hills, more importantly the one that my family would take walks up - Bonaly Hill. My sister and I would race to the top and it would provide breathtaking views of the beautiful city of Edinburgh and you could see as far as the Firth of Forth. The bus stopped right outside my school and I blended right into the crowd of maroon color blazers, striped ties, and knee-high socks in the typical rainy weather that usually lured over us. But coming to America was nothing like that. When I moved, many people would comment on our family’s accent asking us, “Where are you guys from?”. To which I would normally respond by saying “Scotland.” But when I interviewed my mother about our family history, neither one of us knew exactly where our family originated from. We called up my Grandmother, who told us that our family is mainly Scottish but we also have English, Irish, French, and German in our background. Now, for ease, if anyone asks me I just say “Scottish.” These days, my Scottish accent has disappeared and people just assume that I was born in America. I guess in a way I have woven myself into the American culture and I now call Chicago my home.
Over the last few months, a new health crisis has erupted among America’s youth; Federal Officials have stated recently that there have been over 1,300 cases with at least 26 deaths from the new epidemic of vaping. Many people, including Heath Officials, have been warning the public of the dangers that are present with vaping. The devices, originally designed to help adults quit smoking, have now become a recreational habit by teenagers. People are arguing that this is due to the flavors such as “Cotton Candy” and “Bubblegum” that are catching the eyes of young adults. Vaping has been on the market for over a decade now, but now illnesses and, more worryingly deaths, have began to appear in almost every state. On October 11th, the Center for Disease Control, or CDC, announced that the name for the lung illnesses will be called “EVALI”, which stands for “e-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury”. According to The Washington Post, “Officials are still trying to figure out...
Terrific post, Nathan! I especially like your memories of Scotland. You write about them beautifully. You should share this post with your parents.
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