Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - John Lennon

Yes, I know, it's not even December - WHAT AM I DOING PLAYING CHRISTMAS MUSIC?!?

Today is Remembrance Day. I woke up, checked Facebook, and was overwhelmed with the dialogue being shared over whether or not we should appreciate what past soldiers have given for our freedom. This is an interesting topic for me as i have participated in both sides of that debate over the years.

Of course, as a child, I followed the rules and willingly participated in the lead-up to the Remembrance Day celebration. Often this included the Legion competitions of art, essays and poetry. There was a time in my life when I looked back at this time and thought, "well, the only reason I did that was because it was the only artistic competition in our small town." And, of course, one would argue that the competition was a way of 'brainwashing' the children to believe war was the only answer. Often, however, the best poems were ones of gratitude rather than glory.

My adolescense saw me rejecting a lot of things just because they were the "right" things to do. Me - a rebel? Hardly. But I began to question my world and not support the things I always had been. I was less of a "goody-two-shoes" than I let on to be. (No, no, I was still a "goody-two-shoes," hoping people would appreciate that about me.)

I remember coming back from university halfway through my time in Vancouver for the Remembrance Day holiday. As a family, we decided to meet up in Edmonton. As with many meet-ups of the family at that time, it was not long before my sister and I began fighting. One of those fights was the fact that I refused to wear a poppy. "You better not a let a veteran see you without one!" was her basic argument. I had chosen not to wear a poppy because I was "anti-war" and thought that poppies were a symbol of war glorification. (Oh, the land of the lotus eaters...) For her, wearing a poppy was a sign of respect for the people who had fought for our peace. She found herself lucky to live in a world where she wasn't faced with the atrocities of war everyday, and this was the one time of year where she could give serious thought to her luck of being born here rather than somewhere else.

I scoffed at the idea. I didn't reject it, I just thought there were better ways of appreciating our freedom than glorifying the battles previously fought for us. And, after living in Edmonton area for four months, I assumed she felt that way merely because of all the army boys in town.

I met only one soldier before living in Edmonton. I was thirteen or fourteen and he was a friend of my best friend's parents. I was hanging out at her house when he came by for a visit. I remember him talking about his role as a peacekeeper. He did not seem very proud of the work he did. With our young, impressionable minds, he shared his worst fears and the biggest problem he saw with the role of peacekeepers. As a peacekeeper, he was never allowed to shoot at somebody unless shot at. So, he explained, the enemy could kidnap them, lead them to a shooting range and they would never be able to shoot back until it was too late. At thirteen, I believed him completely. And, so how could I support a system that allowed such honourable men to be taken prisoner, lined up and shot dead?

I didn't think about the civilian lives that these peacekeepers had saved with their presence. I didn't think about the role model they were to people who had known only violence in their lives. I didn't think about the reputation they provided for my country on a worldwide level...until I left the country on my own.

At 22, I found myself drifting through Europe. I had no goals, no direction in my life. I was just willing to have life provide a destination for myself. On that journey, I picked up many lessons that have come in handy since, and probably even more that will be useful in the future. Today, I am reminded of the lesson I learned in Berlin.

For children of the late 20th century, Berlin represents the cold war, WWII, and a lot of pain we don't like to think about on a daily basis. I find it only fitting that this place revealed to me a deeper understanding of what it means to be from a "peacekeeping" country. I stayed in a popular hostel with a full kitchen and people from all over the world. There was a group of people there from Afghanistan, attending a conference on peace in the middle east. I was thoroughly enjoying the cooking space of the kitchen when one of the students from Afghanistan asked where I was from. When he heard Canada, his face lit up.

"Really?!?" he couldn't believe it. "Thank you so much," he said.

I was dumbstruck. Yeah, Canada is a great place, but I had no choice in where I was from.

Seeing my confused look, he explained his gratitude. Having grown up in Afghanistan, his life has been filled with war and uncertainty about the future. Hundreds upon thousands of soldiers have come and gone through his country, all fighting on one side or another. Canadians, though, were only fighting for one thing - peace. They protected the civilians. They provided aid to the injured. They gave meaning to this young man's life, so that he could grow up, travel abroad and campaign to end the war in his home country.

Needless to say, I was touched. This was the other side of the peacekeeping mission that I would rarely get to see. Earlier that year, I had finally read The Kite Runner and it had spoken to me in a way that it wouldn't have had I read it earlier. I had travelled to Morocco and listened to the lower classes trying to break free from their poverty, and their political silence. My eyes had been awaken to the fact that my life is privileged. I have so much to be thankful for, that I don't even know where to begin.

And, yeah, I might think those soldiers are idiots trying to fight for peace. That is the most ironic concept to wrap your brain around. Is it any wonder that war isn't over and probably never will be? The truth, though, is that those soliders are at least doing something to make a difference in this world. I might talk big about being the change, but these men and women are sacrificing their lives to bring peace to other people. Isn't that a change we should respect?

So, whether it's Christmas or not, here's hoping one day maybe enough people will want war to be over and it will stop. Thanks, John Lennon, for another peaceful tune!