I have an affection for the notion of the British Empire. There were dark deeds and there was glory, there was development and there was mismanagement - but the myth - the legend of Great Britain casts a long shadow over the 19th and 20th centuries. As a student and lover of history in English, it is no surprise that the romantic notions of Great Britain's culture, legacy and influence affect me greatly.

I woke up to the realization that Great Britain has voted to leave the EU. What started off as the European Community, a common market, had gradually increased financial heft, cost and integration. My knee jerk reaction to UK leaving the EU is that it was a bad idea. As I reflect further, I really don't know, as the EU has a lot of problems as well. Just as nations can integrate, they can disintegrate. The Roman Empire, Ottoman's, The USSR, Czechoslovakia to name a few. Indeed, a short century and a half ago, the US might have well devolved to a number of smaller nations.

What is striking to me about notions of permanence is that they are misguided. Very little on this planet is "permanent" and nothing should be taken for granted. EU integration has been a theoretical, and Britain has never been fully European. The fallout in the markets is already blistering - but the long term implications are harder to assess though easy to pontificate about.

Will this portend further disintegration of the EU? The EU doesn't have that many financial sources that are relatively cash rich. If it gets to a point where the entire EU is bankrolled by a couple states, and others are receiving cash transfers, will those states that give more be tempted to get out? Will there be tighter integration to better control possible dissolution?

Will the EU experiment come undone?

Oddly enough, my biggest realization is personal. Further integration is neither inexorable nor to be taken for granted.

Man and his works are evanescent.