We don't remember because we want to remember, because we feel all gushy about the Anzacs. We make ourselves remember on purpose because our tendency is to forget.
Well put. We remember was to remember it was horrible and we don't want to do that again if we can help it. And to honour those who did the horrible things because they felt duty was more important than fleeting pleasures. But because of the great distance of time between us and the original events, the horror has largely faded and we end up with some weird sentiments sometimes. I've been able to read a diary that my husband's great-grandfather kept while he was at Gallipoli. He was one of the ones that landed on that first day. When you read it written by someone you know, in the trenches, as it is happening, it is powerful. How he came back and returned to normal life after seeing all of that, I don't know.
If people I work with are a representative sample ... Anzac Day is the new Easter. They got up to go to the dawn service ... and I was the 'heathen' who stayed in bed.
I don't think the point is to like them...
ReplyDeleteYes. Exactly.
DeleteWe don't remember because we want to remember, because we feel all gushy about the Anzacs. We make ourselves remember on purpose because our tendency is to forget.
This isn't how it is presented.
Well put. We remember was to remember it was horrible and we don't want to do that again if we can help it. And to honour those who did the horrible things because they felt duty was more important than fleeting pleasures. But because of the great distance of time between us and the original events, the horror has largely faded and we end up with some weird sentiments sometimes. I've been able to read a diary that my husband's great-grandfather kept while he was at Gallipoli. He was one of the ones that landed on that first day. When you read it written by someone you know, in the trenches, as it is happening, it is powerful. How he came back and returned to normal life after seeing all of that, I don't know.
DeleteWhoops. That first line should read, "We remember to remember..." I don't know where the extra "was" came from.
DeleteIf people I work with are a representative sample ... Anzac Day is the new Easter. They got up to go to the dawn service ... and I was the 'heathen' who stayed in bed.
ReplyDelete