When I think of ANZAC Day I think of my late Great Granpa.
Friends come and go, and sure at times - family too. But Great Granpa was a man I look up to, a man that was so old but still going down to the beach, throwing the dog his ball.. nothing stopped him. He’s my idol. I just love that man; if I could do anything to turn back the clock I would.. but we can’t. But I can remember him. Maybe to me, as a young Australian, that is what ANZAC Day is about.
Remembering.
Whenever I struggle , I feel this presence in the room, and I lift my arm up in hopes he’s holding my hand. He gets me up in the morning. I may never be a better person than he was; quite frankly I’ve only known him in his older years so I’m not sure of just what man he used to be. What I am sure of is the man that i grew up with, who he was then. THAT is who I want to be. He is my idol. My Guardian angel.
When we forget our past, our future is in jeopardy.
Young Australians are frankly quite ignorant of their history; and from what they do know - they simply couldn’t be bothered to wake up early and remember those who fought with literal blood sweat and goddamn tears, all in the idea and belief that their family and Home that they all call Australia would be protected, AT ALL COSTS.
Unfortunately with technology and social media, notifications and self-gratification all being tapped into via dopamine receptors through its “reward system”; many young Australians have been and are hardwired to the latest and greatest; whatever gives them that self-gratification the quickest. More so unfortunately however, that because of this in combination with growing up in the midst of Political correct culture, everyone getting an award for something to make sure people are bubble wrapped from “life’s unnecessaries”, one of these deemed " unnecessaries " is our history. We didn’t invade this country, it was our ancestors. We didn’t put in legislation that allowed aboriginals to be citizens in 1967, that was our ancestors. It wasn’t me. It wasn’t us.
The same rhetoric used by German soldiers who conformed to the Nazi Regime. It wasn’t me.
The same thing is happening in the schooling system, I was fortunate enough to have a Modern History teacher who wasn’t afraid to step out of his curricular lines. He taught us the truth because “we deserved to know it”.
Society Has become overtly PC, with technology and social media tapping into our dopaminergic reward system; there simply aren't many Young Australians who care to think of ANZAC Day; all we, Young Australians, know and remember is unfortunately standing in assembly or doing a minutes silence. Kids who did Cadets had other duties of course; but the broad consensus of Young Australians simply see it as another public holiday- quite similar to the Queens birthday or perhaps Australia Day; although that too has been turned into a day of drinking and not celebration or what have you.
Society has turned the Younger Generation into something that makes me quite frankly sad and fearful; especially for future generations.
In order for someone to care about something there needs to be prerequisites. Emotional/historical/political/personal etc. Relevance, but additionally the means and ability to do so, to care.
The schooling system and society as a whole has almost completely destroyed what could pertain as relevant to a person based on blame-shifting, effectively making it infinitely harder to relate to an event or day that we “did not do”. Additionally, means and ability to actually care to wake up at dawn and what not are almost completely diminished given technology and social media are at an all-time-high; these also target our biochemistry through reward systems; We can set an alarm for 4am, but do we want to get up and go outside in the cold?
Like our previous generations did so infinitely more harsh and dangerous, on foreign soil, with a plethora of other terrible conditions and circumstances too?
That’s the unfortunate truth for Young Australians. We are now mostly hardwired for consumerism, not conservatism. We are hardwired by society and it’s relevant implementations and sectors, to feel as little as possible. What you can feel is what we give you. A Facebook notification, a like on Instagram, maybe some fear from a news article. This is what I fear for future generations; somehow we are supposed to turn this around- I don't know.
What I DO know is that ANZAC Day is about Respect. For our Past. For people like Great Granpa. For people who cared enough for our future that they fought and died for us or were prepared to die for us.
It is a day, one day a year to say " Thank you. " and to never forget the past. Because without the past there is no future.
FOOTNOTE: The Great Grandpa spoken about joined the Royal Navy at 17 years of age in June
1943 .. permission given by his Mother. Like all young fellows thought a
Torpedo Man sounded exciting , did not realize that he would be trained as an
Electrician. Did a stint in Japan after the Atomic bomb at Hiroshima and
returned to Civilian life in 1947. Then joined the NZ Navy for 3 years when
New Zealand bought 6 Frigates from the UK in 1948. They arrived in NZ in
January 1949. He retired in 1985 and enjoyed 30 lovely years living at the
Sunshine Coast.
1943 .. permission given by his Mother. Like all young fellows thought a
Torpedo Man sounded exciting , did not realize that he would be trained as an
Electrician. Did a stint in Japan after the Atomic bomb at Hiroshima and
returned to Civilian life in 1947. Then joined the NZ Navy for 3 years when
New Zealand bought 6 Frigates from the UK in 1948. They arrived in NZ in
January 1949. He retired in 1985 and enjoyed 30 lovely years living at the
Sunshine Coast.
