Remember Remember the 5th of November

It's funny how some things make you nostalgic.  For me bonfire night always has fond memories. The Fire works, the bonfire on the village green, sparklers.  Love sparklers.  We had planned to light some fireworks here in Canada but the local fire service, with the power of telepathy and a keen knowledge of Diwali, headed that off.  Notes were delivered to every house last month reminding us that you need a permit for fireworks outside key holidays.  Not many folks here know about Guy Fawkes Night, but I guess why should they?  My husband explains it using language like "celebrating the thwarting of Catholics trying to blow up parliament" which is factual if a little emotive in today's world.  We forget that all those years ago the religion to persecute was Catholicism.  Society now having moved on to stigmatize other faiths.

I remember aged 4 or 5 waiting for Dad to get home so that we could light the fireworks. Him trying to light a Catherine Wheel with little success. Going back to try again...never return to a firework Dad.  Remember the firework code! That memory is over 40 years old but clear as day in my head.  I think nostalgia comes from having a child around.  I remember things I did at his age, consciously to try to contextualize and understand his behaviour, and randomly or most likely subconsciously At the oddest times.

Over the last month we have been creating memories, traditions, habits. It is now our tradition to go apple picking the weekend prior to Thanksgiving; to bake pumpkin tarts on Thanksgiving day; to go Trick or Treating for the fun of it; to go for brunch at Denny's on the first Sunday after mid month payday.  Then there are the classics - Santa starts watching you from July ( when all the christmas cartoons are on TV) for his naughty/ nice list; no Christmas decorations can go up until after my birthday; the Christmas cake must be made before Grandmas birthday (Nov 25th); The trip to see Santa at the Pioneer village around the 23rd Dec.  "do you think he is the real Santa mummy?" Maybe, although he may be a helper as Santa is very busy.  "No, he is the real Santa because he was really old!" Okay.

Another memory that stirs at this time of year is watching, with my Grandma, the Remembrance Day service on the BBC. Born around 1903 she lived through both world wars, Granddad fought in WW1, lied about his age and sneaked off at 14 and signed up for the adventure. I have vivid memories of grandma telling me about being given tins of condensed milk during rationing in WW2 and feeling terrified she would get into trouble, only for the bottom of the bag to give way and them all fall out right in front of a copper.  I remember dad and her telling me about them arriving home to find that the front door had been blown off by Gerry bombs.  I wasn't there, clearly, but it is part of my life. Remembering and respecting are very important to us and we are starting to help small person understand  and show respect for history.

We are off to the local Cenotaph on Sunday to pay our respects. Small person with his Beaver Scout troop and me close by.  I think that those connections to history are powerful influences. Last week at work someone shared a comic image on the intranet with likely all the best of intentions... A photoshopped picture of Kitchener from WW1 propaganda. It offended me. I mulled over it for some hours...why did it offend me?  It felt disrespectful in some way, maybe it was the ignorance of its origins by the sharer that offended me. The apparent lack of  of education about recent history offended me.  It felt like trampling across graves in a grave yard if that makes any sense.  I felt compelled to raise my concerns. Others shared them and the photo was taken down.  It rare that stuff bothers me that much but we really do need to understand and remember what others sacrificed so that we can live the lives we want to live.

More upbeat next time I promise :-)
Happy Wednesday