Armistice

            In the States we celebrate Veterans’ Day, a kind of catch-all to remember those who have served in the military, especially those who have been in conflict. I can get behind this idea. I have deep respect for the military. In trying to write Peter Flynn, I wanted to get the details of the lifestyle as correct as possible (while projecting it several hundred years into the future, of course).

Resolutions

            Okay, time to move it forward. I’ve reflected adequately, and here are the resolutions I’m willing to make public.

Reflections

            A week into the new year, and here are some reflections on the previous year (from which there might be some resolutions made). I’m not entirely sure what form resolutions based on the reflections will take, but I feel like I need to reflect before I resolve.

Mellow Holiday

            Back when I worked for Target (many, many moons ago, now) I worked in the toy department. During Christmas. That was the year I hated Christmas. I was bitter towards everyone. I hated seeing toys on TV. I nearly developed a twitch on seeing commercials. I promised myself I would never let myself hate Christmas again.

And I don’t hate it. I still really like it, but I don’t’ need it to be a big production. I like the idea that it’s a low stress day. So, I will have a mellow Christmas filled with some good music, pleasant films, good food, and a little family.

Giving Thanks

            I could list all the many great things I’ve been blessed with, but I won’t. Instead, I’m actually thankful for the challenges and hardships. They push me to make more of myself, and I certainly don’t enjoy going through them at the time, I know that I become a better me by facing the challenges and hardship, and those bring opportunities. And I’m thankful for the help of family, friends, and—most of all—God, to help me get through it all.

           

Christmas Time Again

            Christmas is . . . well, it’s odd. I truly love the holiday. I have Christmas spirit. It’s why I wear the Santa hat for nearly a month every year. I love Christmas movies and Christmas music, but when the day is actually here, it seems a little on the empty side. There’s only a little family left here, and it’s a small affair that doesn’t permeate clear through the day. The upside being that we don’t have to put up with all the family shenanigans that can happen over the holidays.

            But the spirit doesn’t last either.

            I’ve found, though, that my Christmas spirit has been making its way into my writing. I’ve written two Christmas stories that are, without question, my favorite stories. I love the idea behind them, of bringing that Christmas magic to life in my stories, and I’m not talking about all the elves and literal Christmas magic (though there is some of that) but of people extending their reach to other people. Smiles and good feelings and a desire to help our fellow men.

            That, to me, is really Christmas.

            Time to work on another Christmas story.

Poppies

            The poppy is not just a drug or a nod towards The Wizard of Oz--Poppies, poppies, poppies. The red poppy of Europe, in particular, holds special significance. Flanders Field was decimated by the war effort of World War I, but a year after the war ended, the poppies had returned, covering the damage done by what was then the greatest war the world had ever seen.

            It’s for that reason that the poppy has become a symbol of remembrance for the War. Both the American Legion and the British Royal Legion sell and distribute poppies to remember soldiers who have fallen in conflict.

            While the U.S. usually does such remembrance on Memorial Day in May, Europe celebrates Armistice Day, November 11^th, and I think it’s appropriate that people do more than vaguely celebrate the return of solderis from the front lines, but remember, specifically, the conflict from which they returned.

            American history courses and textbooks frequently overlook the importance of World War I in favor of World War II and Vietnam. But I think that World War I deserves more remembrance. It was one of the most savage conflicts that ever existed as technology had outpaced strategy. No longer were formations of soldiers effective as machine guns could mow them down. Cavalry gave way to armored tanks. And we saw the debut of chemical warfare, submarines, and landmines. Trenches spread across Europe separated by tracts of land filled with the dead and strings of barbed wire to make sure they never escaped.

            This was a war where progress was measured in yards of ground captured when it wasn’t in feet.

            I urge everyone not to forget, and perhaps to wear a poppy, and tell the story of what happened nearly a century ago.

Masking

            As a writer, I wear a lot of masks. Tons of them, really. It’s not even limited to point of view characters. Characters develop their own quirks and so even when I’m wring one particular character’s POV, I have to take into account all of the mannerisms present from other characters present in the scene.

            For that reason, I like Halloween. I feel like the rest of the world finally gets a glimpse at what my everyday existence is like. I have a chance to—marginally—blend in with the rest of society.

A Better Time of Year

I'm something of a Christmas nut. I love the holiday. I love the idea of people treating one another better at this time of year. I wish we didn't need the excuse of the holiday. I always loved the song "Silver Bells". The idea of people smiling as they pass each other warms my heart. I hope that everyone will take the time this holiday, whatever your beliefs, to smile and think how wonderful life can be if we all did a little bit to bring joy to other people. Wish someone well. Hold the door open. Smile.

Let's see if we can make life a little better for a little while. Once we nail that, we can work on the rest of the year.

Halloween

I've always loved Halloween. It must appeal to the fiction writer in me. On a regular basis I assume the guise of other people, so donning a costume just adds to the authenticity of it all. While the physical is disguise is enjoyable, and makes things easier, it's the character I really like. Being able to flesh out personalities makes the whole experience all the better. Being able to interact with others who are likewise engaged in assuming other guises makes the whole night a giant work of escape fiction, where pirates clash swords with Jedi. Where monsters dine with politicians and celebrities.
What could be cooler?

Independence Day

     I love July 4th. I love the United States. I've always been a huge history buff, and can rattle off stories about the 13 colonies long past the point when people will listen to me.
      It wasn't until I did a summer of grad school in Juneau, Alaska that I saw patriotism on a personal level. Yeah, I know, Juneau doesn't have colonial roots, and is geographically as far as it gets from the Revolutionary War. Every year, Juneau is proudly the first city in the U.S. to celebrate July 4th. They start just before midnight on July 3rd. The fireworks light up the sky near the docks where all the cruise ships come in, and it is literally standing-room only. The entire town turns out for this celebration of Independence. When speaking with Juneauites (I have no idea if that's the correct term, but it has a cool sound to it), the reason for this celebration is simple enough: the miners got the 4th off for a holiday.
      The origins of their celebration may not have had anything to do with Independence, but how the city celebrates does. They come out as a community both that night, and all day of the 4th. Barbecues, games, and events take place throughout the day. To my mind, nothing could be more patriotic than to spend the day in celebration with families and friends, enjoying the freedom the day represents to the fullest.

The 4th!

     On this day, 234 years ago, it was hot in the city of Philadelphia, a blistering, humid day like those before it. The men of the Continental Congress signed a document, a document that had gone through many revisions, a document quite unlike any other in the history of mankind. For the first time in history, men came together to declare with one voice that they had rights, and that they would fight for those rights. They made a civilized declaration of war against a tyrant on behalf of the people they represented. They declared that they would become a nation unto themselves, that they would govern in a way that should be done, with all having a voice.
     Those are the things we think about them declaring, but they did more than that. They declared themselves traitors to the king. They declared themselves enemies to one of the most powerful nations on earth. They declared not only their lives forfeit if captured, but that of their families. They declared their fortunes for a cause that might fail, and even if successful, leave them penniless. They declared the death of thousands of ordinary men and boys in their struggle. They declared and end to ties, friends, family, and professional, back in England.
     They declared all of these things, and they paid the price. Their families were hunted. Their friends were hunted. Their fortunes confiscated or spent on the war. They died as traitors, as soldiers, as paupers, as men alone.
     They knew all these things when they made this declaration, understood full well the consequences for themselves and the ones they cared about, and they signed, anyways, not knowing if they would succeed in creating the nation they dreamed.
     So on this day, we enjoy the grill, the fireworks, and the time away from work, but remember the immense sacrifices that went into this day. Treat the day as more than a day off or an excuse to eat, remember the lives that went into making a nation. Remember that the flag is more than just stars and stripes. Remember that the Declaration of Independence is more than just words on the page.