Anzac Day.
A day where I should be going to the dawn service, paying my respects to the diggers (including Grandpa Bob, who fought in France in WWI), knocking back a few pints and playing a bit of two-up.
Should be.
Instead, I am curled up in front of the computer with a box of tissues, a gallon of cough syrup and a box of cold & flu tablets, struggling to get the rest of 'C' uploaded to my iPod. If I make it through 'D' I've told myself the day won't be totally wasted.
I hate being sick.
Especially when I could be in the pub playing two-up.
Cheers Grandpa Bob. Even though I never knew you, Daddy always made sure I knew what you sacrificed for us. And he left me your war diaries, so you can bet I'll make sure that my kids know about it too. I guess that's what the Anzac spirit is about.
I might just go and have that beer for you now. You don't mind that I'm still in my pj's do you?
3 comments:
I thought about my granddad, Percy, who died before I was born (from long term complications caused by being gassed so many times in the war.)
He was a scout on the Western Front. Up over the trenches and into the enemy tents at night to steal badges from the enemy officers' uniforms.
We still have his helmet, dented from shrapnel that would have otherwise dented his head.
those diaries would be interesting? i have my grandfather's travel diary from the late '50s. so cool.
elaine - Grandpa Bob came home with schrapnel in his spine... although it affected his quality of life it was a heart attack that eventually took him (when my dad was just 13).
My great grandad was named Percy... I love that name.
mg - those diaries are REALLY interesting, especially for their banality. Entries like: "Yesterday Charlie was shot and killed by a Jerry. Today was warm and so I washed my socks, then we played cricket in the paddock behind the trench... tomorrow we're attacking the XYZ battalion, so I'm going to have an early night tonight." You get the sense that either he was trying to shield his family from the horror (he sent the diaries home to them when they were full) or shield himself.
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