Lest We Forget
Today is ANZAC Day. I've pointed folks in the direction to learn more on previous Days, however today I'm leaving that as an exercise for the student. There is much to be learned should you do so.
In September '01 on our holiday trip to New Zealand something happened which -- well, seated might be the word -- my penchant for this. Events in New York are associated, but not the specific at all. And I know that my penchant received a lot of foundation from people earlier as well.
New Zealand is a small country, and still fairly rural as to where a lot of the people live. There are big urban centres yes, and I'm far from saying that Kiwis are country bumpkins. Not at all. Still, driving through the rural areas of a country not ones own and seeing the detail which did affect me is because I saw this in the rural areas.
I'd expected to see various formal displays of empathy/sympathy in the urban areas, large and small. Places where one expects to see multi-national displays of flags, to see the US flag at half-staff or draped in black crepe or folded (for indoors display) to show respect and mourning. Yet, those are urban areas, and the ability to track down and purchase a US flag not so difficult.
As we drove through the country, passing farm homes hours from even a small community much less the larger urban areas, three times we passed a home displaying a US flag on a porch flag-staff or even a front yard flag pole all set as I said in the previous paragraph. Once, yes I could see someone maybe having a US flag on hand already and deciding now is a time to fly this flag. Three times, though, and so far from anywhere that such a flag might be easy to acquire?
Someone went to some effort there.
And as where Herself and I live we should hardly expect either a Kiwi or an Aussie to simply happen by, I do not believe those US flag flew because those people expected it to be seen by anyone from the US.
So yes, on ANZAC Day, I Remember. Lest we forget.
In September '01 on our holiday trip to New Zealand something happened which -- well, seated might be the word -- my penchant for this. Events in New York are associated, but not the specific at all. And I know that my penchant received a lot of foundation from people earlier as well.
New Zealand is a small country, and still fairly rural as to where a lot of the people live. There are big urban centres yes, and I'm far from saying that Kiwis are country bumpkins. Not at all. Still, driving through the rural areas of a country not ones own and seeing the detail which did affect me is because I saw this in the rural areas.
I'd expected to see various formal displays of empathy/sympathy in the urban areas, large and small. Places where one expects to see multi-national displays of flags, to see the US flag at half-staff or draped in black crepe or folded (for indoors display) to show respect and mourning. Yet, those are urban areas, and the ability to track down and purchase a US flag not so difficult.
As we drove through the country, passing farm homes hours from even a small community much less the larger urban areas, three times we passed a home displaying a US flag on a porch flag-staff or even a front yard flag pole all set as I said in the previous paragraph. Once, yes I could see someone maybe having a US flag on hand already and deciding now is a time to fly this flag. Three times, though, and so far from anywhere that such a flag might be easy to acquire?
Someone went to some effort there.
And as where Herself and I live we should hardly expect either a Kiwi or an Aussie to simply happen by, I do not believe those US flag flew because those people expected it to be seen by anyone from the US.
So yes, on ANZAC Day, I Remember. Lest we forget.