Lest We Forget
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I must admit, I've been somewhat remiss in recent years when
it comes to attending the local Remembrance Day ceremonies.
No good reason, "too busy" or "really don't want to stand in
the rain for an hour" topped my list of excuses.  This year
was different; for the first time in a while I felt it was
something I wanted to do, more of a privilege than an
obligation.

In times of uncertainty, rituals of long standing take on
greater importance. And over my lifetime, this ritual goes
back a long way.  I remember as a very young child looking
on with limited comprehension as what seemed to me then a
succession of very, very old men in dark overcoats spoke
solemnly and laid wreaths at our local cenotaph, punctuated
by bagpipe and bugle. I know today that many of those men,
survivors of the first world war, were scarcely older than I
am now. All since gone under the hill, along with most of
those who bore witness to WW2.  Sadly, combatants in other
wars have since come to take their place; there is no end to
it.

The weather was appropriate, overcast and dull.  The
cenotaph is on the edge of parkland largely left to grow
wild; I rode my bicycle to the trail head and walked from
there through the leafless forest to where the crowd had
gathered.

The ceremony has scarcely changed since my youth, though I
did appreciate the effort to make it more inclusive than it
was long ago, with references to many faiths (or "no faith
at all"), the participation of Indigenous speakers, and
admonitions to resist "othering" those different from
ourselves.

Oddly, I had a highly uncharacteristic emotional response
when the time came to sing our national anthem. Having
watched Casablanca (for the 157th time) just the night
before, it crossed my mind to wonder if there would ever
come a time when singing "Oh Canada" would come to seem an
act of resistance, like Yvonne singing "La Marseillaise" in
Rick's Cafe.  A foolish thought perhaps, but it caused me to
get a bit teary.

After the wreaths were laid, I walked back through the
forest, thinking of those who made the ultimate sacrifice,
and those whose courage got them through some pretty tough
times.

Tue Nov 12 16:22:17 PST 2024