We will remember them!

As I stood proudly and watched a 7 year old Beaver Scout lay a wreath with dignity and respect I saw a different world.
Many could say that a 7 year old has no connection or understanding with those he is remembering. There are no Great War veterans left, its unlikely that there is many alive in his family circle who saw action in the 2nd World War, current conflicts, although brought closer to us through the media affect far fewer people.

Without those who we were honouring today we would live in a much different world, our fight for independence will be a bloody war of words, spoken freely and fairly.  We will wander to polling booths in less than a year, each and everyone of us with a right to our choice.

Without the lives lost, our fight would have been with a far worse foe than David Cameron or Alex Salmond, remember them.  As we saw in the former Yugoslavia with neighbour fighting and killing neighbour, families torn apart, atrocities beyond our comprehension this could have been our fight for independence, remember them. As we click Yes for Independence or Better Together on Facebook remember them.  Despite our countries failings and as much as we condemn our politicians we have the opportunity to tell them to pay for their own duck houses, we can vote and neighbour disputes are dealt with a frosty silence or at worst an ASBO, remember them.

That is why we stand with pride and respect and that is why when there are no veterans left standing we will know they did the right thing and that is why we will keep standing and why we will remember them because that's far better than standing imagining what could have been.

Inspiring Silence

Sitting staring at a blank screen, fingers poised over a reluctant keyboard.  Unwilling to give up the secret location of the inspiration key.  The whine of the computer fan drowning out the sound of brain cogs mashing, trying to blink in time to the twinkling status light.  Breathing once for every tick of the clock, sinking back in the chair, as the room settles around me.  Time slipping by, never to come back, gone but not forgotten as the memory stores this as a golden time of peace and serenity.  At one, not with nature but with one’s surroundings.

40

Is it an achievement to live longer than you thought you would?

Do you look back and think lucky me?

Or do you think what have I done to deserve this?

How do you know when its half way through?

When its ending do you look back and see the middle or the beginning of the end?

Does it spring up and hit you?

Is life’s journey an ascent or descent?

Is a mid life crisis a peak or valley?

Is the crushing pain in your chest, fear of heights or a heart attack?

When do the questions stop and the answers begin?