“he”/“him” A Canadian Prairie Mennonite from the '70s & '80s, a Preacher’s Kid, slowly recovering from a hemorrhagic stroke. I am not — yet — in a 12-Step Program.
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Friday, November 11, 2022
Remembrance Day, Manitoba, 1980
A person could buy milk and gasoline, but that was all. Remembrance Day in Manitoba, 1980, was incredibly quiet. The bustle of Ontario was a revelation.
Leonard Cohen reads In Flanders Fields here. Tony Hillerman was in Europe and remembers.
I do remember how quiet it was. And somewhat uncomfortable? Mennonites being mostly pacifist or COs meant that they didn’t know what to do about the day- to acknowledge it maybe felt like condoning war. It took years for me to figure out you can honour the dead, their sacrifices and work for peace
I had great-uncles who fought right into Berlin -- and I was privy to the politics of that . They're all facing God now, so it hardly matters,but sheesh! One of them fought from Juno Beach right into Berlin and this day meant a lot to him, so it does to me, too.
I do remember how quiet it was. And somewhat uncomfortable? Mennonites being mostly pacifist or COs meant that they didn’t know what to do about the day- to acknowledge it maybe felt like condoning war. It took years for me to figure out you can honour the dead, their sacrifices and work for peace
ReplyDeleteI had great-uncles who fought right into Berlin -- and I was privy to the politics of that . They're all facing God now, so it hardly matters,but sheesh! One of them fought from Juno Beach right into Berlin and this day meant a lot to him, so it does to me, too.
ReplyDeleteWise words. Thanks for weighing in.