Lost in Thought

Lost in Thought

Lost in thought, I was sitting, on this first day of spring, at the feet of the cenotaph on the grounds of the parliament buildings. In the warm sun, with daffoldils blooming I was thinking of my grandfather. My grandfather insisted on braving any weather, just as he had every November even after his stroke, to get to the cenotaph. Saluting smartly, the weight of the years would fall away. He did not see the brass and granite, nor hear the call of the winter birds. He saw himself standing at the ready, knee deep in mud. The weight he carried on that long ago day was a rain drenched woollen coat, heavy rifle and ammunition. That sky was gray painted with bright orange bursts of machine gun fire. With each final 21 gun salute he came back to where he stood and he was once more aging flesh and blood. The weight of his many years settled on him once more even as he felt the soldiers battle dress that he thought had gone. Grandfather told me all these things and more.

Then he told me that the battle had new weapons and new ammunition now. Weapons and ammunition foreign to the old soldier. Grandfather didn’t understand them and really didn’t want to. What he knew was that the fight was the same, no matter the ammunition, no matter the weapons. It was always about territory and power. Who holds the gold. Always with the belief that who holds that gold makes the rules. Whether new rules are ethical or moral no one ever knew til after battle was done. Then he would shake his grizzled head slowly and sadly.

On those days, the old soldier sat back down in his wheelchair. In that wheelchair, no matter how comfortable and safe, he was in the hands of the person that pushed it. He was at the mercy of his caretakers, nurses and doctors. Much of his personal power was taken from him by infirmity. Most of the time he was willing to accept this balance of power. Fortunately, his family and his caregivers were all pretty good folks and he appreciated their respect and care. 

My grandfathers life and service would be forgotten by many, but not by this proud grandson.

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you 

want to test a man’s character, give him power.”

~ Abraham Lincoln