ANZAC Day today, which is always a poignant day for me. We attended the dawn service up here which was very well attended for such an isolated area - folks decked out in their finery and medals, the cenotaph, laying of the wreaths and of course the 'singing' of the national anthem - general more like a muted sort of muttering that swells into greater strength at the chorus and ending
I don't know exactly why, but I feel the significance of this day much more than our other National holidays and events. Perhaps because I had family involved in various wars, or simply due to a rich and empathic imagination which makes it easy for me to really appreciate the experiences and life-changing events to all involved in the events commemorated; the soldiers themselves and other servicemen of the time, the women on the battlefields as nurses in sometimes appalling makeshift hospitals, the families left at home, the deserters, the injured or disabled people unable to help the cause, those left behind after the skies cleared.
So many people so effected in such a vast array of impacts.
And war is such a controversial topic - who? Why? and what for? all these philosophical and burning questions - applied more to current wars than those of the past - ethical dilemmas, mixed emotions or very clear cut views - such a melting pot.
For me, on this day, I think back to those people fighting then, and focus on the individual personal experiences they must have had - as being one person thrown into such trmoil and events they could not have prepared for or exeriences before. And the Australian qualities of mateship, a "fair-go" mutual respect and "getting on and getting it done" that the diggers instilled in us as a nation, that I hope we will hold to. And those qualities shared by all of humanity; to band together and help each other in times of need.
Poignant indeed
In knitting news, I haven't really been feeling the love lately with the simple shawlette I'm knitting away on. I still love the yarn and pattern but feel a little frustrated. I'm getting so close to the end, and have been rocking out with a series of purl ridges and eyelet rows inspired by Mary Heather's fabulous Simple Things.
I think what it is, is that I didn't start the texture early enough, so now I'm trying to fit in the expanding sequence I have in my head of ridge-gap-ridge-smaller gap-big eyelet rows-gap-small eyelet rows etc.. and am running short on yarn!
Ah well.. I'm very close to the end so I'll push on, finish the row I'm on and bind off. When I block it out it may be just exactly what I had in mind after all, and if not I can frog it out and redo that section.
The colours seem very fitting for today too, very earthy and Australian.
I don't know exactly why, but I feel the significance of this day much more than our other National holidays and events. Perhaps because I had family involved in various wars, or simply due to a rich and empathic imagination which makes it easy for me to really appreciate the experiences and life-changing events to all involved in the events commemorated; the soldiers themselves and other servicemen of the time, the women on the battlefields as nurses in sometimes appalling makeshift hospitals, the families left at home, the deserters, the injured or disabled people unable to help the cause, those left behind after the skies cleared.
So many people so effected in such a vast array of impacts.
And war is such a controversial topic - who? Why? and what for? all these philosophical and burning questions - applied more to current wars than those of the past - ethical dilemmas, mixed emotions or very clear cut views - such a melting pot.
For me, on this day, I think back to those people fighting then, and focus on the individual personal experiences they must have had - as being one person thrown into such trmoil and events they could not have prepared for or exeriences before. And the Australian qualities of mateship, a "fair-go" mutual respect and "getting on and getting it done" that the diggers instilled in us as a nation, that I hope we will hold to. And those qualities shared by all of humanity; to band together and help each other in times of need.
Poignant indeed
In knitting news, I haven't really been feeling the love lately with the simple shawlette I'm knitting away on. I still love the yarn and pattern but feel a little frustrated. I'm getting so close to the end, and have been rocking out with a series of purl ridges and eyelet rows inspired by Mary Heather's fabulous Simple Things.
I think what it is, is that I didn't start the texture early enough, so now I'm trying to fit in the expanding sequence I have in my head of ridge-gap-ridge-smaller gap-big eyelet rows-gap-small eyelet rows etc.. and am running short on yarn!
Ah well.. I'm very close to the end so I'll push on, finish the row I'm on and bind off. When I block it out it may be just exactly what I had in mind after all, and if not I can frog it out and redo that section.
The colours seem very fitting for today too, very earthy and Australian.
No comments:
Post a Comment