One thing I have noticed is that, as the years pass, the losses on the 'other' sides are being acknowledged more and more, a recognition of humanity thrown against itself that perhaps time allows us to see. A mate told me of his grandfather, in the Great War, jumping out of a bomb crater, only to be greeted by a German doing the same.
They shot each other, the German copping it in the leg, and he in the arm. Looking at each other, and seeing another human being, not an 'enemy', the less wounded Australian took the German 'prisoner', got him back behind the lines to medical attention and respite from hell.
They remained in touch for the next 40 years.
Naturally, a holiday weekend means a chance for a splash, and while it could have been great, wind and swell direction meant it either missed, or wobbled, or wasn't as good as it could have been. I did though allow myself a trip down yesterday, and scored a very fun surf at Winkipop. Crowded, and inconsistent, somehow I managed, either by luck or rat cunning, to get a few really fun waves, sitting in the sun, saying thanks in my own way to the vets who made it possible for us to enjoy this life we live.
The pic: Even though I surfed Winki, little Bells looked a happy place too.
1 comment:
Did you watch Kokoda last week?
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