So, today is Remembrance Day here in Canada, a day that always kind of got to me. See here's the thing, even as a teen, convinced that war/military/yada yada was all wrong, I still realized that that had more to do with the powers that be, than with the soldiers on the ground. I realized that not all soldiers start off their careers thinking of being "soldier" per se. So so many are looking for a better life, an education, a challenge, a chance to travel... Who hasn't been there? Who hasn't gone looking for a way to accomplish these things. Many more come to it, genuinely, to try to help people, to make a difference. To be peacekeepers. Though I'm sure they exist, I have NEVER met a soldier who got into the military to "fight". And yes, the argument could be made that their participation is exactly what enables the bureaucrats and politicos above them to keep fighting. But even if you take the soldiers themselves out of the equation, maybe we can think of today, not just in their memory, but in the memory of their loved ones. Those men, women, children, and friends who have lost those most dear to them. So for just one day, I try to put myself in their shoes. I try to think how I would want my loved ones to be remembered. And, so, regardless of politics, I choose to show them my respect.
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