And yet, we seem to forget. Anzac Day, for me, is an ambivalent day. I understand the solemnity with which we remember those who gave their lives, particularly at Gallipoli, and also in war theatres before and since.
I have participated in various ceremonies, either at school or in more recent times as a band member at RSL functions. But I hesitate at what has become an event cased in jingoism, commercialism and myth. It troubles the academic in me.
It is also my job to find ways that the world may live in peace. I teach politics, international relations and security. As my colleagues in medical research find ways to cure cancer, some of us in my field are seeking ways to find peace (imagine all the research dollars that could be spent on these things if we didn't need to buy all those guns and things).
In the week we commemorate (definitely not, not, not celebrate...good grief) 100 years since the 'ANZAC legend was born', the government has sent a further 300 troops to the Middle East. Again. I'm failing at my job.
But I do, dear reader, pause to reflect on the day of course. There remains much work to do. And although it is Saturday, I awoke early, early enough to attend a dawn service, if I thought I should. But instead, in my backyard I found the right sort of symbolism for me:
At dawn, the needles of the only pine out the back...
 |
| Pine needles at dawn |
...and the eucalyptus...
 |
| Eucalyptus at dawn |
Lest we forget. It seems we need to keep reminding ourselves. War. Enough is enough.
[Camera : Canon EOS 60D, 70-300mm, 6.04am, 6.08am]
