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.
From Redhead
Remembering. ...I have just read this tribute by my Great Grand son to my husband. Mr Redhead.I thought you might like to read about another side of the man. Ex Royal Navy , joined at 17 with his mother's permission , that was required if you weren't quite the correct age. Like all young fellows he had the thought that firing off torpedos would be exciting ... little did he realize that it was learning to be an Electrician. He joined in 1943 and was demobbed in 1947... spent a lot of time in the Mediterannean, and about 6 months after the bombing of Hiroshima he was sent there to help get the place working again.He was a man of principle , did not suffer fools, believed in God, was a good father and a loyal husband. Was as popular with his own kids as he was with his Grand kids and then his Great Grand kids. He laughed with them, listened to their chatter and questions and told them stories.No wonder they thought he was someone to be looked up to. I am pleased that his life lives on in the memories of those he fought to protect, even though they were not born when he fought" ... Redhead
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 can’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 Politically 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.
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 { drugs to enhance emotion } 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 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.
