My Friend Hope

Excellent piece of writing Peatle.     

Thank you EB I hope my written rantings make sense it is a follow on from that old saying hope springs eternal.

Cheers Phill  when  I  wrote  about Invaders and Oppressors I was looking at  it on a global history basis  which could be any country or race in the world. At sometime in history whether it be world wars,  people in Nazi concentration camps  or way back further people and tribes have invaded others or have been invaded themselves. To me what happens is the spirit of hope drives people on when times are bad. Even if  we go back a short time in global history some major events such as the 1914 to 1918 world war followed by the 1918 to 1920 flu pandemic, followed nine years later in 1929 to 1939 by the world wide depression followed by the 1939 to 1945 world war and so on, people went through alot. They wouldnt have got through without some sort of faith and hope in their aspirational thoughts. Because of hope their courage and resilience didn't  desert them. My mother who is 99 years young has told me this is the time for this generation to experience a global threat and they should come out of it better in the long term. Another chapter in history's rollercoaster ride, but for some of our young ones sacrifice is a foreign word because everything has gone good for them so far. I must qualify that further even in modern times some young ones have been through fires , hurricanes, earthquakes and shootings just to name a few things and this has helped shape their world view bringing out the best in some of them and the worst in others. This pandemic will do the same on a bigger global scale.
Wishing you and your family good health.

Cheers Phill the thought that someone can press a button and start a nuclear war scares me. Thankfully the powerful have been saber-rattling around weapons of destruction so far in modern times. France wasnt very happy with New Zealand back in the eighties protesting against their nuclear bomb testing on Moruroa, atol in the south Pacific. It  ended up in 1985 with the bombing and sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, by the French foreign intelligence service. The ship,  was  berthed at a wharf on Auckland harbour New Zealand. The pandemic here even though people  are in their safety bubbles  has brought out a good community spirit. Now things have slowed down they have time to stop look at nature and talk to each other even though it is from a distance.  We are just hoping the big job losses and pain will pass and we will come out of this stronger and better. HOPE is leading us on.     
Today  Saturday here is Anzac Day it  is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders "who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations" and "the contribution and suffering of all those who have served. The Covid-19 lockdown has cancelled Anzac services today, but this morning thousands of Kiwis are not letting it stop them paying their respects.
Up and down the country, New Zealanders gathered at their letterboxes, front doors and living rooms as part of a "Stand at Dawn" campaign, many also were tuning in to a live stream of a virtual Anzac Day services. On my street  at 6am many stood at the front of their houses quietly in rememberance while the Last Post was played and the RSA ode was read out.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.
This is the fourth stanza from Laurence Binyon's poem For the Fallen. Referred to here as the Returned Service Association  Ode of Remembrance

I am not sure of the greeting for Anzac Day though I have seen a lot about their bravery in the face of the enemy and the idiot generals that sent them into withering machine gun fire. Let us hope those days are gone forever.     

yeah, led by a load of lords and generals that bought their commissions. there was a time when kings and generals had to prove themselves by leading their troops into battle. william the conqueror gave land and privileges to his knights that distinguished themselves at hastings which they handed down to their sons and so on until we come to the chinless wonders that sat miles away from the action sending brave men into suicidal charges. how the dickens did the human race survive so long?