So Many Things To Commemorate

[poliphilo]

Last week the racks at the entrance to Sainsbury's were full of Halloween junk- and had been for a month or more; yesterday some fairy had waved her wand and the Halloween junk had been transformed into Christmas junk. Three Christmas presents for the price of two!  The only nod to it being Bonfire Weekend was a special offer on parkin. We bought a packet of parkin and should have bought two, because it was very good and though it was priced at £1.49 they only charged us 44p at check-out.

There was a bunch of old guys in berets selling poppies by the exit. An instructor from the Air Cadets was standing talking to them. We'd spotted him earlier breezing round the aisles with his basket.  He was about 40 and wearing his camouflage kit and rakish beret like he'd just come off the parade ground.  I took an immediate dislike. I don't know, but I think it's inappropriate- in fact, sort of rude- to swagger round a civilian environment dressed like that- especially when you're not a proper soldier. I tried very hard not to think "wanker!" but it was too late; I already had.

Here's something Einstein once said: "When a person can take pleasure in marching in step to a piece of music it is enough to make me despise him. He has been given his big brain only by mistake."

This year I'm wearing a little enamel poppy lapel badge that Ailz bought for me in the British Legion shop in Ypres.

Comments

[veronica-milvus.livejournal.com]

Because of the "Troubles" in Northern Ireland it was forbidden for many years for service personnel to appeal off duty in their uniforms in the UK. I'm not sure whether that applied to cadets though! I went through San Diego airport one President's Day weekend and there were dozens of US Navy guys in full dress uniform with little peaked caps and all, it was like "Top Gun" or something. We are no longer used to seeing them around. But then, our police officers and nurses don't seem to do much of their supermarketing in uniform, either.

[loxian.livejournal.com]

It's usually these cadet or territorial army types who can't just wear normal clothes and walk properly, I've noticed. Presumably real soldiers get tired of it quite quickly and are glad to be and behave as if off duty.

[airstrip.livejournal.com]

I don't mind it really. I never see people dressed to kill unless they're ROTC or on their way to or from military activity. Actually, I think it's against code to wear a uniform otherwise.

[daisytells.livejournal.com]

It's only since Vietnam that vets and soldiers have taken to walking around in camouflage fatigues. There's no pride in that. IMHO a soldier should wear the proper uniform when appearing at a parade or a recruitment or other function that emphasizes the military. Showing up in raggedy fatigues and needing a shave does not help to heal the tarnished image of the military.

[methodius.livejournal.com]

This year gunpowder treason was forgot here, completely. The dogs were happy. And Hallowe'en has never got started.

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking that the American Legion has made paper poppies for years here, to honor the armed forces. My dad brought home a paper poppy and gave it to me when I was seven. I thought it was so pretty. It had a slip of paper attached, probably explaining what it was for, and was on a green wrapped wire stem.