When we were driving the backroads of Spain last week, my wife took delight in the poppies that seemed to be growing everywhere, along the shoulders and in the fields in such abundance that they seemed large red blankets laid down for a giant's picnic. As I took one eye off the winding roads to enjoy "her" poppies, my own mind wandered off to the words of the poem "In Flanders Fields the poppies grow..." written in rememberance of the fallen in the Great War and, by extension, for all others ever since. Memorial Day weekend is the traditional kick off for summer in the US. But it is also is meant to be a somber day of recall of sacrifice and recognition that freedom doesn't come free of cost. I never served in the military...just one of those things. But growing up in a wartime Manhattan, the window of my bedroom framed a banner embroided with 4 stars for my brothers Juan, Antonio, Ignacio and Jose off on farflung ships and battlefields of World War II. All of them came back alive to their kid brother, sisters and relieved parents. A decade ago, as a parent, I sweated out my own son's service in Desert Storm in the advance command post of General Barry McCaffery's 24th Division (now the object of a contraversial article in a recent New Yorker magazine). Jason returned to us safe ... I personally shook General McCaffery's hand in thanks when we met up with him at the end of the celebratory parade in lower Manhattan. Jason remains a career soldier, a sargeant in the US Army. Something I take great pride in. I mention names but I know many of you have ones you could fill in if I were to have left them out. Some of those you would name did not come back. Whereever your kayak or canoe takes you this weekend, bring along some flowers. Pick them from a field or lawn or buy them at a market. At some point as you paddle stop for a moment. Cast them on the waters and, if you are with other paddlers, hold hands in silence. In that moment, remember the significance of Memorial Day which is so easy to forget in the whirl of a holiday weekend. Lest we forget. ralph diaz -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri May 26 2000 - 08:20:00 PDT
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