Nov..16,
      2007
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      beginning
      of
      November
      for
     
     
      many
      students
      figures
      the
      nursing
     
     
      of
      a
      Halloween
      hangover,
      and
      her-
     
     
      alds
      preparation
      for
      a
      holiday
     
     
      much
      more
      sombre
      but
      no
      less
     
     
      ghoulish.
      Remembrance
      Day
      calls
     
     
      on
      us
      all
      to
      reflect
      on
      those
      who
     
     
      have
      sacrificed
      themselves
      in
      wars
     
     
      past,
      and
      forces
      us
      to
      evaluate
     
     
      humanity's
      progress
      since
      those
     
     
      Great
      Wars
      that
      defined
      nations
     
     
      and
      slaughtered
      millions.
     
    

    
     
      It's
      timing
      -
      intended
      to
      commem-
     
     
      orate
      the
      signing
      of
      the
      armistice
     
     
      that
      officially
      ended
      World
      War
      I
      -
     
     
      seems
      fitting,
      placed
      gently
     
     
      between
      the
      debauchery
      and
      glut-
     
     
      tony
      of
      Halloween
      and
     
     
      Thanksgiving
      and
      the
      warmth
      and
     
     
      comfort
      of
      Christmas.
      For
      me,
     
     
      Remembrance
      Day
      has
      always
     
     
      been
      one
      of
      unease
      and
      gloom.
      I
     
     
      wonder
      at
      what
      it
      must
      have
      been
     
     
      like
      to
      have
      lived
      through
      the
     
     
      wars.
      I
      wonder
      what
      it
      would
      be
     
     
      like
      if
      there
      were
      one
      today.
     
    

    
     
      Of
      course,
      as
      a
      generation,
      we
     
     
      think
      we
      are
      well
      versed
      in
      both
     
     
      the
      lessons
      of
      the
      past
      and
      the
      state
     
     
      of
      affairs
      of
      the
      present.
      We
      don't
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Beth
      Lassaline
     
     
      Managing
      Editor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      writing
      this
      editorial,
      I
      am
     
     
      sharing
      with
      you
      a
      true
      story
      that
     
     
      in
      some
      ways
      may
      appear
      small
     
     
      and
      insignificant,
      but
      was
      really
     
     
      quite
      meaningful.
      I
      encourage
      all
     
     
      students,
      professors
      and
      anybody
     
     
      else
      who
      happens
      to
      read
      this
      arti-
     
     
      cle
      to
      make
      a
      small
      difference,
      and
     
     
      pay
      it
      forward.
     
    

    
     
      The
      other
      day
      was
      a
      lousy
      one.
     
     
      Things
      were
      not
      going
      my
      way.
      I
     
     
      had
      a
      short
      break
      in
      between
      class-
     
     
      es,
      so
      I
      decided
      to
      go
      and
      grab
     
     
      some
      lunch
      in
      the
      Student
      Union
     
     
      building.
      I
      got
      my
      lunch,
      moved
     
     
      to
      the
      checkout
      line,
      and
      handed
     
     
      over
      my
      debit
      card.
      Surely
     
     
      enough,
      as
      if
      my
      day
      hadn't
      been
     
     
      sufficiently
      miserable,
      the
      machine
     
     
      would
      not
      accept
      my
      card.
      With
     
     
      some
      obvious
      annoyance
      in
      my
     
     
      voice,
      I
      tell
      the
      woman
      working
      at
     
     
      the
      checkout
      that
      I
      am
      just
      going
     
     
      to
      run
      down
      the
      hall
      to
      the
      ATM
     
     
      and
      then
      come
      back
      with
      some
     
     
      cash.
      This
      is
      when
      a
      complete
     
     
      stranger
      came
      up
      and
      really
     
     
      changed
      my
      day
      around.
      A
      girl,
     
     
      who
      I
      am
      assuming
      is
      a
      UPEI
      stu-
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      think
      of
      Iraq
      as
      a
      new
      and
      different
     
     
      war,
      we
      think
      of
      it
      as
      our
      Vietnam.
     
     
      We
      think
      of
      the
      government
      of
      the
     
     
      United
      States
      as
      the
      worst
      ever,
     
     
      and
      a
      little
      piece
      of
      us
      scoffs
      at
     
     
      every
      Remembrance
      Day
      ceremo-
     
     
      ny
      we
      attend.
      While
      the
      veterans
     
     
      or
      other
      speakers
      explain
      what
      it
      is
     
     
      to
      go
      without
      for
      the
      country,
      or
     
     
      how
      difficult
      the
      government
      was
     
     
      to
      deal
      with,
      or
      what
      it
      is
      like
      to
     
     
      have
      friends
      overseas
      we
      think
      we
     
     
      know.
     
    

    
     
      We
      understand
      -
      because
      our
     
     
      friend's
      brother
      was
      in
     
     
      Afghanistan,
      and
      his
      friend
      was
     
     
      almost
      killed
      by
      a
      bomb.
      We
     
     
      understand
      -
      because
      we
      saw
      the
     
     
      action
      on
      television,
      and
      were
     
     
      faced
      with
      the
      cold
      reality
      of
      war
     
     
      through
      the
      TV
      screen.
      Soon,
     
     
      throughout
      these
      monotonous,
     
     
      droning
      ceremonies
      our
      mind
      wan-
     
     
      ders
      and
      becomes
      preoccupied.
      We
     
     
      think
      not
      of
      the
      subject
      at
      hand,
     
     
      but
      of
      other
      engagements
      we
      have
     
     
      on
      that
      holiday.
     
    

    
     
      I
      am
      reluctant
      to
      call
     
     
      Remembrance
      Day
      a
      holiday,
      and
     
     
      even
      more
      reluctant
      to
      admit
      our
     
     
      understanding
      of
      it.
      In
      the
      purest
     
     
      sense,
      we
      get
      a
      day
      off
      from
      work
     
     
      and
      school,
      so
      it
      qualifies
      as
      a
      hol-
     
     
      iday
      in
      that
      respect,
      but
      I
      am
     
     
      inclined
      to
      compare
      it
      to
      the
     
     
      Christian
      Good
      Friday
      rather
      than
     
     
      Christmas.
      It
      is
      intended
      to
      be
      a
     
     
      sombre
      day,
      much
      like
      Good
     
     
      Friday,
      and
      everywhere
      there
      are
     
    
   
   
    
     
      people
      gone?
     
     
      dent,
      stepped
      in
      and
      paid
      for
      my
     
     
      lunch
      before
      I
      could
      even
      leave
      the
     
     
      line
      to
      go
      and
      get
      some
      cash.
      If
      I
     
     
      didn't
      say
      it
      enough
      that
      day,
      I
      say
     
     
      it
      again
      now:
      THANK
      YOU,
      thank
     
     
      you,
      thank
      you!
      This
      was
      obvi-
     
     
      ously
      not
      necessary,
      as
      the
      bank
     
     
      machine
      is
      about
      fifty
      feet
      away,
     
     
      but
      she
      did
      it
      anyways.
      Now,
      I
     
     
      understand
      that
      some
      of
      you
      who
     
     
      are
      reading
      this
      are
      thinking,
      "big
     
     
      deal,
      somebody
      paid
      for
      her
     
     
      lunch..."
      but
      that
      is
      just
      not
      it.
     
     
      This
      stranger,
      with
      a
      simple
      act
      of
     
     
      kindness,
      completely
      floored
      me
     
     
      and
      changed
      my
      entire
      day.
      In
     
     
      thinking
      about
      this
      event,
      if
      the
     
     
      roles
      were
      reversed,
      I
      came
      to
      real-
     
     
      ize
      that
      it
      probably
      wouldn't
      have
     
     
      even
      crossed
      my
      mind
      to
      pay
      for
     
     
      her
      if
      it
      were
      her
      debit
      card
      that
     
     
      wasn't
      working.
     
    

    
     
      This
      philosophy
      of
      paying
      it
      for-
     
     
      ward
      is
      not
      new,
      but
      it
      may
      have
     
     
      gotten
      lost
      in
      our
      busy
      and
      stress-
     
     
      ful
      lifestyles.
      My
      challenge
      to
      you
     
     
      and
      your
      peers
      is
      to
      make
      a
      differ-
     
     
      ence.
      What
      can
      you
      do
      to
      make
     
     
      someone's
      day
      a
      little
      better?
      Buy
     
     
      someone
      a
      coffee,
      put
      some
      money
     
     
      in
      an
      expired
      meter,
      come
      up
      with
     
     
      something.
      It
      doesn't
      have
      to
      be
     
     
      huge,
      or
      completely
      life
      changing;
     
     
      I
      don't
      think
      that
      that
      is
      what
      this
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Caneel
      speaking
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      icons
      of
      Christianity
      -
      crosses,
     
     
      processions
      and
      prayers
      mark
      vir-
     
     
      tually
      every
      ceremony.
      The
     
     
      parades
      and
      dedications
      have
     
     
      become
      Church
      processions
     
     
      moved
      outdoors,
      with
      the
      huddled
     
     
      masses
      eagerly
      awaiting
      its
      end
     
     
      because
      they
      understand.
      They
      do
     
     
      this
      every
      year,
      and
      yearn
      more
      for
     
     
      a
      hot
      coffee
      afterwards
      than
      they
     
     
      do
      for
      world
      peace.
     
    

    
     
      Certainly,
      I
      am
      as
      guilty
      of
      this
      as
     
     
      anybody.
      It
      helps
      to
      be
      aware
      and
     
     
      to
      try
      and
      correct
      it,
      I
      suppose,
      but
     
     
      there
      is
      a
      distinct
      line
      of
      propriety:
     
     
      the
      only
      thing
      worse
      than
      someone
     
     
      who
      wants
      the
      ceremony
      to
      be
     
     
      over
      is
      someone
      who
      chooses
      to
     
     
      revel
      in
      it,
      placing
      themselves
      in
      a
     
     
      position
      for
      all
      to
      see
      and
      humbly
     
     
      sorrowing
      over
      all
      before
      them.
     
    

    
     
      It's
      the
      same
      person
      who
      asks
      if
     
     
      you
      went
      to
      a
      ceremony
      if
      you
     
     
      didn't
      attend
      the
      same
      one,
      and
     
     
      they
      feel
      like
      you
      let
      them
      down
     
     
      because
      they
      sent
      you
      so
      many
     
     
      Facebook
      invitations
      urging
      you
      to
     
     
      REMEMBER!!!!
     
    

    
     
      A
      Remembrance
      Day
      ceremony
     
     
      begs
      for
      reverence
      and
      humility,
     
     
      but
      there
      are
      some
      so
      busy
      tooting
     
     
      their
      own
      horn
      that
      the
      Last
      Post
      -
     
     
      can
      be
      drowned
      out.
     
    

    
     
      We
      all
      remember;
      it's
      impossible
     
     
      to
      forget.
      Perhaps
      the
      most
      impor-
     
     
      tant
      thing
      of
      all
      is
      to
      know
      that
     
     
      you
      do
      not
      understand
      -
      because
     
     
      only
      then
      can
      we
      truly
      begin
      to
     
     
      honour
      and
      respect
      a
      veteran.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Where
      have
      all
      the
      good
     
    
   
   
    
     
      is
      about.
      The
      simplest
      things
     
     
      make
      a
      huge
      difference.
     
    

    
     
      So
      once
      again,
      I
      thank
      you,
      who-
     
     
      ever
      you
      are.
      I
      hope
      that
      if
      you
     
     
      are
      reading
      this
      you
      feel
      just
      a
      lit-
     
     
      tle
      appreciated
      and
      just
      a
      little
      spe-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      cial,
      because
      it
      is
      the
      least
      I
      can
     
    
   
   
    
     
      do.
      And
      to
      the
      rest
      of
      the
      student
     
     
      body,
      try
      to
      make
      some
      small
     
     
      changes,
      and
      when
      you
      need
      it
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      kindness
      will
      come
      back
      to
      you..
     
    
   
   
    
     
      as
      eiibolorl
     
     
      y,
      019101110
     
    
   
   
    
     
      iE
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      How
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      edition
     
     
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      The
      Cadre?
     
     
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