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Where have all the Poppies gone?
Nov. 10th, 2009 04:13 pmNo seriously, where? I can't buy them on campus anywhere.
I find it strange that they don't sell the poppies for Remembrance Day here at the University. I can't ever recall a year that the school I attended didn't have a poppies; and while this year is no exception, I am confused by this decision not to sell the poppies on campus. To be fair University is a different class of Education, it's not a public institute, so perhaps it's just a weird government thing. Still I find it unnerving that even when I went to the cafeteria or the campus Timmies that there was no box.
The lack poppies seems so surreal to me that I felt the necessity to post. Shocking I know. Hear me out, for the last year life has taken over in the most wonderful way. Where perhaps a shyness and self-conscious nature has prevented me from writing, now for past year has been a year of growth and independence. Still lingering feelings of self-doubt surround my thoughts when I want to post. There have been numerous post left unfinished, unwritten, or lost. I only feel a mild guilt for those posts, mostly for not adhering to some personal goal. Today I found myself reflecting on this, and I ultimately decided that while before I would rationalize my decision not to post with an excuse or some notion that what I want to say is so unoriginal it's not worth the time I spend writing it. Today my head is clear and I feel the need to post, perhaps this time I can keep my focus till the end of this entry. I feel my subject today is important at least to me it is. This year is a first of many things, including a School without Poppies.
It's repetitive theme, I've never really known how attached I was to these poppies until they were gone. I learned that the University had abandoned their Poppies yesterday after asking a classmate where on the campus could I find one. She tells me that there was some movement not long ago that featured the resentment of these poppies and how by wearing them we support war. As she put it, "They were just saying we shouldn't support our Veterans because they didn't do anything for us." (From here the conversation diverged on the subject of the White Poppies in England) Now having heard this second hand the message is skewed and I won't pass judgement until I have read these essays. Yet, the by not selling these poppies anywhere across the campus we see that the University Intentionally or not is making the task of finding one these Poppies. To me this sends a message, I can interpret the message many ways, but I wonder what the true intent was.
I wonder if they associate the Poppy to all Veterans and they choose to make a political point about the War in Afghanistan. I wonder if it was just the fault of bad organization, I've seen it before, they just forgot to make that phone call to get the poppies here on time.
Perhaps this school is too young to care, this day off school is No longer a time mourn the dead, it's just a day off. I am just as guilty as anyone of this crime, tomorrow I've chosen to watch Oz, not really the most sincere message of gratitude I can give. I guilt for not finding a Poppy to wear a week earlier as tradition usually dictates. I feel clumsy and wrong trying to word my feelings on how I feel, at this sad and awkward time. I don't want to make a fuss stirring something more political than it needs to be, this time for me is one of humbleness, to lower our pride and remember our mistakes to remember who suffered for them. For them I am sorry I'll make my actions in the future change them from previous generations, I will do the best I can to remember always- to be wise and thoughtful of my choices.
On the subject of Poppies, please correct me if I am wrong.
For about a week ago I started a searching for the hidden stash of poppies that I was sure existed if only because I saw others wearing the poppies. I eventually found them in the convenient store off campus, I bought three Poppies. I wear one now with pride and respect, not war but for the hope of better choice, for those Men and Women Canadian or not who died in the event of war, they died needlessly and tragically. I humbled by their sacrifice and grateful in never having to see a battle field, or of facing death.
For this I wear the poppy and I remember.
I find it strange that they don't sell the poppies for Remembrance Day here at the University. I can't ever recall a year that the school I attended didn't have a poppies; and while this year is no exception, I am confused by this decision not to sell the poppies on campus. To be fair University is a different class of Education, it's not a public institute, so perhaps it's just a weird government thing. Still I find it unnerving that even when I went to the cafeteria or the campus Timmies that there was no box.
The lack poppies seems so surreal to me that I felt the necessity to post. Shocking I know. Hear me out, for the last year life has taken over in the most wonderful way. Where perhaps a shyness and self-conscious nature has prevented me from writing, now for past year has been a year of growth and independence. Still lingering feelings of self-doubt surround my thoughts when I want to post. There have been numerous post left unfinished, unwritten, or lost. I only feel a mild guilt for those posts, mostly for not adhering to some personal goal. Today I found myself reflecting on this, and I ultimately decided that while before I would rationalize my decision not to post with an excuse or some notion that what I want to say is so unoriginal it's not worth the time I spend writing it. Today my head is clear and I feel the need to post, perhaps this time I can keep my focus till the end of this entry. I feel my subject today is important at least to me it is. This year is a first of many things, including a School without Poppies.
It's repetitive theme, I've never really known how attached I was to these poppies until they were gone. I learned that the University had abandoned their Poppies yesterday after asking a classmate where on the campus could I find one. She tells me that there was some movement not long ago that featured the resentment of these poppies and how by wearing them we support war. As she put it, "They were just saying we shouldn't support our Veterans because they didn't do anything for us." (From here the conversation diverged on the subject of the White Poppies in England) Now having heard this second hand the message is skewed and I won't pass judgement until I have read these essays. Yet, the by not selling these poppies anywhere across the campus we see that the University Intentionally or not is making the task of finding one these Poppies. To me this sends a message, I can interpret the message many ways, but I wonder what the true intent was.
I wonder if they associate the Poppy to all Veterans and they choose to make a political point about the War in Afghanistan. I wonder if it was just the fault of bad organization, I've seen it before, they just forgot to make that phone call to get the poppies here on time.
Perhaps this school is too young to care, this day off school is No longer a time mourn the dead, it's just a day off. I am just as guilty as anyone of this crime, tomorrow I've chosen to watch Oz, not really the most sincere message of gratitude I can give. I guilt for not finding a Poppy to wear a week earlier as tradition usually dictates. I feel clumsy and wrong trying to word my feelings on how I feel, at this sad and awkward time. I don't want to make a fuss stirring something more political than it needs to be, this time for me is one of humbleness, to lower our pride and remember our mistakes to remember who suffered for them. For them I am sorry I'll make my actions in the future change them from previous generations, I will do the best I can to remember always- to be wise and thoughtful of my choices.
On the subject of Poppies, please correct me if I am wrong.
For about a week ago I started a searching for the hidden stash of poppies that I was sure existed if only because I saw others wearing the poppies. I eventually found them in the convenient store off campus, I bought three Poppies. I wear one now with pride and respect, not war but for the hope of better choice, for those Men and Women Canadian or not who died in the event of war, they died needlessly and tragically. I humbled by their sacrifice and grateful in never having to see a battle field, or of facing death.
For this I wear the poppy and I remember.
