Getting Involved

While the next blog chapter is gently stewing in my brain, here’s a guest post from @HoppingHaggis, a call to arms reminding us that time is short and we still need to make things happen in the next six days!  

I know, there are tons of people out there campaigning already, but if you haven’t yet dipped your toe in the water, this post is for you! Canvassing may or may not be your own cup of tea, but we can all do something, and it’ll be worth it to wake up the morning after and think “I was part of that.”

I’ve been canvassing for the first time, and it feels good! 

It started with the rolling 24 hour party political broadcast at the start of the week.  You know, even if it wasn’t complete tosh about losing the BBC, this latest stunt makes me question whether we even want them!   Instead of getting angry, I decided to wrestle my trembles into submission and get out to chap some doors.  I’ve never campaigned for anything before, and I’m quite a quiet person, so it was with some trepidation that I emailed Yes Forfar, but I got a speedy reply from a very nice lady who invited me to come out with them.  

I’ve just returned, and I have to say I’m so glad I did it!  We met in a wee car park and I was paired up with a friendly lady who worked at a local university.  She quickly kitted me out in some Yes garb (I didn’t even have a badge!) and off we set.  We had a list of registered voters to work from: the first few people were out, but our first answer was for a Yes. We gave him a sign to pop in his window, marked our sheet and moved on.

It was a good night: a couple of No’s, a couple of undecided and a lot of Yesses, but my favourite was an extremely friendly Russian lady who proudly told us she already had her signs in the window – it pleases my heart how inclusive this movement has been!  Sure enough, when we walked round the corner of the block, we saw her window decked top to bottom with a big Yes Saltire.

When we finished our list, we headed back to the car park and met up to tally results (stopping to wave at the wee guy driving by, giving us a big thumbs up!)  Our wee group got:

60% Yes

20% No

20% Don’t Know

So with the Don’t Knows removed, that’s 75% Yes!

Please, we have so little time left and EVERY VOTE COUNTS. I’m a fearty computer nerd at heart, I hate speaking to people, but this is SO important and we all need to make it happen.  Even if you’ve never done it before, it’s not so hard - you just have to stand and smile. Everyone can stand and smile;  you’ll enjoy it, it’s liberating!  

If I can do it, then anyone can, and you’re needed. With something so important we can’t afford to be complacent.

People of Scotland, this is our time... Let’s make it happen.

Vote Yes! 

@HoppingHaggis

PS:  I asked William to post this for me on his blog, because his was one of the first blogs I ever read about independence 3 months (or so) ago and he drew me into the movement.  A brilliant humorous writer, if you haven’t read his posts elsewhere on the blog, I would encourage you to have a look. Be prepared to giggle!

(Aw, shucks…. WD)