I am here in the beautiful state of Utah during winter. As I exhale in the chill, my breath leaves a visible trail in the high altitude of this mountain splendour. Nature has a way of stirring gratitude in us, and this magnificent sight of snow-covered mountains does that just for me. As I stand here many things pass through my mind. Could Glasgow, and Scottish US ties possibly be? Absolutely.

It was only recently before standing at this spot in Utah that I stood 4500 miles away in the Glasgow City Chambers speaking with the Glasgow Lord Provost Jacqueline McLaren.

During the meeting which included three exceptional colleagues and friends, the Lord Provost presented me with an 850th Glasgow Anniversary pin. I was receiving it in the same room where American luminaries such as a young John F. Kennedy and Eleanor Roosevelt had been.

When the Lord Provost gave me the pin, I told her I would proudly take it wherever I went. You may say it’s merely an inexpensive pin. With my love for Glasgow, my deep heritage here, and what the modern city represents, it was like holding a valued medal that I could enthusiastically carry into the world with a passionate message of Glaswegian pride.

Read our Glasgow's Future series

© Herald Scotland