Gratitude - They Passed This Way
01:01:4i
Newstead Park - Brisbane
“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow”
#04i This is a departure from my usual posts, but I felt compelled to say something in light of the events of the middle east over that past few months.
We’re currently anchored in the Brisbane River opposite Newstead Park and close to the site of the former World War II US submarine base. At the base of a column is a plaque conveying appreciation to the United States for their assistance in defending Australia during the conflict.
Nearby is another plaque dedicated to the US and Australian Men and Women who gave their lives in defence of the country. In essence, it’s not so much a war memorial as an expression of appreciation, gratitude and unity.
Plaque at the base of the column in Newstead Park
The events in the middle east during the past few months have been undeniably horrific. What makes it even more exasperating is witnessing individuals and news organisations rushing to profit from it by providing context after a cursory glance at a map, Wikipedia or social media.
Why can’t it be okay to remain silent for a time, to absorb and reflect on the profound horror and feel sympathy towards those affected without comment or without promoting division?
If there's one positive aspect to emerge from these events, it's the profound sense of gratitude I feel for being born into a part of the world that enjoys - by comparison, at least - a remarkable sense of peace and security. And somewhere I hope, my children will continue to enjoy the same peace and security in the future.
Plaque dedicated to the Australians and Americans who died in the Pacific conflict.
Gratitude for what we have is something we fail to appreciate until it’s made clear what the alternatives could be, and the events in the middle east have certainly highlighted those disagreeable alternatives.
The journey to this point in our cultural history admittedly, hasn’t been an easy ride and has occasionally taken dubious turns. However, despite its flaws, life in the West today is incomparable to the tyranny and thuggery that existed before and still persists in some parts of the world today. The unique qualities, values and rights championed by libertarian democracies today exemplify the best of humanity and the reason why citizens from the rest of the world beat a relentless path to its door.
In his book, 'An Immigrant's Love Letter to the West,' Konstantin Kisin implores Western liberal society to stop criticising itself and learn to love itself once more. "Take it from a Russian," he says, "The alternative to Western democracy is far, far worse.”
It’s a sobering read and I’d highly recommend it.
An Immigrants Love Letter to the West - Konstantin Kisin
Yet, you only need to lend a casual ear to the media, academia, entertainment, and many other institutions lately to notice that gratitude and appreciation for western culture has fallen out of favour. A heady mix of Marxist ideology and Foucauldian critical theory has seeped from beneath the doors of university sociology departments creating deep rifts in our society. If we don’t rediscover or redefine our common values and purpose soon, these rifts could potentially widen into unbridgeable chasms.
Recently, a century-old Captain James Cook statue was cut down in an apparent protest in Victoria, Australia. Cook is often praised for his respectful interactions with indigenous peoples and his attempts at peaceful relations. This accomplished and gifted polymath came from a humble background and exemplified views and qualities that would pass muster even under the harsh scrutiny of today's somewhat convoluted morality.
Covid and the resulting lockdown seems to have emboldened certain people with a limited world view to make superficial evaluations of historical figures and world events. So, what makes these protestors so confident in their world view when they have so little knowledge or experience of the world and the people who live in it?
Perhaps it has always been the case that young people in particular prefer to define who they are through noisy misguided activism rather than learn about the world and their place within it through work, experience, contemplation, knowledge, and wisdom. The type of values and qualities that normally manifest themselves through resilience and travel as in Cook’s case, yet something that was cruelly denied to them during the Covid Lockdown.
Maybe now more than ever, we need a wholesale prescription and fast track route to travel to usher in new era of kindness, humility, and above all, gratitude in the young.
In his book, ‘The Innocents Abroad’ about his voyage of discovery through Europe and the Holy Lands, Mark Twain wrote, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”
His words are as poignant today as they were in the 1860’s.
The Innocents Abroad - Mark Twain
There is a storytelling technique known as "show, don't tell," in which writers use the actions of their protagonists to reveal their characters instead of relying on exposition. And the best way to express our gratitude is through our lifestyle choices.
Living a life of freedom, travel and adventure as we do on our sailboat is one way of expressing gratitude. It's one way of demonstrating to our grandparents and great-grandparents, the ones who fought and died in wars and battled for a better society, that we are making the most of the freedom and culture they bequeathed to us. To demonstrate that we’re not only cherishing it but also passing it forward to their great grandchildren so they in turn, can become ambassadors of peace by not only living a life of adventure and wonder but appreciation, humility and gratitude.
I am not advocating for pacifism by any means. I believe George Orwell was right when he wrote, "Those who abjure (solemnly reject) violence can only do so because others are committing violence on their behalf." But I do fervently hope we absorb the lessons of the past so our kids won’t have to go back to re-establish the kind of cultural values and personal qualities that their great grandparents already gave so much to defend.
This is why my family and I will be taking a little picnic in the park this weekend. Because, as I said before, it’s OK to remain silent for a time, to contemplate and reflect on the profound horror and feel sympathy for those who have suffered and are still suffering in some parts of the world today. Cenotaphs and memorial parks are not a celebration of conflict, but an expression of appreciation and gratitude to those who gifted us our freedom by making the ultimate sacrifice in bringing world conflict to an end.
We will remember them.
Finally, I just want to end with this quote from Sir Roger Scruton, who, as ever, expresses it in a far more eloquent way than I ever could.
"We do not merely study the past: we inherit it, and inheritance brings with it not only the rights of ownership, but the duties of trusteeship.
"Things fought for and died for should not be idly squandered. For they are the property of others, who are not yet born."
I return to this topic in a later post ‘ANZAC day in Australia and New Zealand’ is you want to read more in the subject
That’s it for this week, now I’ve got that off my chest, next week I’ll be returning to business as usual.
-Woody
“Gratitude makes..”
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