Never forget
Today in Canada, as well as in many other countries around the world, we celebrate the end of World War I and remember those soldiers who gave their lives serving their countries. In Canada, we wear a poppy to show our respect for those who have fallen; the Royal Canadian Legion makes them available in return for small donations. It is of course associated with the Remembrance Day poem “In Flanders Fields” by Canadian soldier John McCrae, who served in World War I.
World War I was known then as “the war to end all wars.” Yeah … uh, that didn’t really work very well, did it? In fact, sometimes it feels like we have even more strife than ever. We learn about the two World Wars in school, study their causes and their aftermaths, but do we really learn from these wars? Do we take to heart their morals and stay firm in our resolve to never again lead the world over that terrible precipice? Sometimes, I have my doubts.
I’m not very into nationalism. I‘m proud of my country and proud to be Canadian, sure. But I have no intention of serving in our armed forces, and if we had conscription again, I’d be a conscientious objector. Nationalism can be dangerous, as World Wars I and II demonstrated.
Yet even though I do not agree with military actions, I respect those men and women who put their lives on the line to serve. They are standing up and fighting—literally—for what they think is right. They demonstrate their courage, conviction, and desire to see change. Can you say the same? How many of us have blogs, talk about change, but don’t actually do anything about it? For this reason, if for none other, soldiers deserve respect and admiration. And that is the soldier that should be celebrated, not the gun-toting action heroes we so often see in movies.
I learned today, listening to the CBC radio coverage of the 11:00 ceremony at the National War Memorial, that there is only one Canadian veteran of World War I who remains alive. He didn’t actually see combat, and he has lived in the United States since 1920. We even share the same last name, although we are not, to my knowledge, related. John Babcock is 108 years old. Ninety years ago, when the armistice was signed, he was serving in the Canadian corps at 18 years of age.
Which brings us to now. The present. World War I had a tremendous effect on development of the entire twentieth century. It ended only ninety years ago—a brief time considering the entire span of the history of human civilization, but a lifetime for a single human being. Soon, all those who lived during the war will be gone, and all we’ll have are our memories of them, as well as whatever testimonies we could record. We owe it to them to never forget their legacy. We owe it to ourselves to never forget, to learn from our past, and to strive to improve the world.
We remember
I remember a lot of things. It comes with having a brain whose neurology is more complex than the fastest supercomputer. It comes with having a mind that can look up into the stars and wonder why we‘re here. It comes with those little packs of Smarties you get at Hallowe’en.
Today is Remembrance Day, so I figured I should post something about that before I continue my little existence on this small planet as it whirls around the star we call the Sun. You see, even though I’m not a fan of wars, which get in the way of more important things, like supper, I have enormous respect for those who risk their lives in war. Because they put their lives on the line, and sometimes even died, for a cause and for a people and for an ideal that they hoped would live beyond them.
Which is why we have as much a duty to them as they did to us back in those fateful days. We have to continue devoting ourselves to forging that ideal they upheld, and to making the world a better place; that is the best way to be true to their memory. Shiny plaques, statues, and music help too.
As I move into the weekend, I‘m still jumpy because I lack my own computer. It makes me feel unhinged (not mentally, but physically, since it is probably my most valuable material possession). 
But, since I’m living from my USB drive now, there is one positive consequence: I write more. Seriously, because I don’t have a television on to distract me and I’m too lazy to visit more than only a few favourite sites, I‘m getting a bit more writing done.
Meh, we’ll see how it goes. My weekend shall look something like so:
- Eat supper
- Make tea
- Write on computer/read
- Watch Royal Canadian Air Farce and This Hour Has 22 Minutes
- Watch the first hour of National Treasure
- Roleplay online
- Make more tea
- Write/read
- Fall asleep
- Wake up realising it’s Saturday
I’ll get my opinion of The Plague out sometime … whenever. 
And yes, that guy over there who borrowed The Great Gatsby from the library last week, learned it was on hold, and forgot to start reading it until today? That was me. 
Moment of silence please
Today we solemnly commemorate to those brave Canadian men and women who gave their lives for our country. This day, called Remembrance Day, serves to honour their memory and their sacrifices.
