Remembrance Day

November 9th, 2016

Last night, my eldest came into our bed. She's a tosser and turner so we didn't get a decent sleep. This morning started off with the news that Trump would become the next US President. I felt like I was going to throw up. I have been needing to renew my passport but I put it off because my husband and I like to go to Ogdensburg, New York every week. We get groceries at Price Chopper, cheap gas for the truck and eat a fabulous buffet lunch at Buster's. I won't be venturing over the border any time soon so, next week, I'll be renewing my passport.

Vin and I were also waiting until the election to book our holiday for next March. We were planning on a trip to the Florida Keys but we knew there was a chance that Trump would be in power, meaning there would be upheaval and potentially riots. I don't feel safe in the US under Trump's "leadership". We had explored other options; Mexico, Cuba, the Bahamas. We talked about booking our trip all week, we were going to do it today. However, we both had our hearts set on Florida and, as we looked over the properties in Mexico, as gorgeous as they seemed, we couldn't do it.

The parallels between Trump and Hitler are frightening. I wonder if we are about to witness WW3. My daughters are preparing for a Remembrance Day ceremony. A few nights ago, we were discussing the meaning of Remembrance Day. They see older men in uniform parading down the main street. They hear depressing music and long speeches about soldiers who fought for our freedom. They don't get it. I wish they had a grandfather to speak to, someone they know and love who has been through the war. So I talked to them about the boys in their class, the ones they like. I asked them to imagine that they are 19 years old, dating and that there is a war. I explained that, just like them, young women were in love and imagining a future with their boyfriends. Only, they were drafted, this means they received a letter stating that they had to go and be soldiers. These young boys were scared, they didn't want to go. They went far from their families, grouped with other young boys just as frightened as they were. They received training in combat and weaponry. Then, these young men were sent out to fight against other scared young boys from other countries. They had to protect themselves, shoot at other people otherwise they would be shot. Lots of these young men were killed or they saw others being killed. Some didn't come home, others returned but they were never the same. I wondered if I was traumatizing them by telling them all of this. However, I want them to understand that these older men were once young boys who did the unimaginable. They risked their lives to protect what we take for granted every day.

I took down the Halloween decorations and had an idea. We should all decorate our homes in honour of Remembrance Day. Red poppies all over the lawn, flags, messages on signs that say, Thank you for keeping us safe. Maybe if we had Remembrance Day decorations, people would resist the urge to bring out the Christmas decorations before Remembrance Day.

As we head into Trump's four year term, I am frightened, uncertain about the future of our neighbours in the US and worried about the impact of their election on our own peaceful nation. However, more than ever, I am grateful to the men and women who have served and still work hard to protect this amazing country of ours.

Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org