It's that time of year, the Halloween freaks have put their costumes away for another year and we start into a new month of Mo-vember. I support the cause behind Movember, I am all for fundraising and awareness for men's health, even though I hate the way that those awful moustaches look on the vast majority of men. Nonetheless, when I see a man with a bad moustache this time of year, I take notice of it and applaud the effort. There is something else I am looking for on all men and all women at this time of year also...and frankly..the results suck. Poppies.
If you live in Canada, were born in Canada or are not under an oppressive regime's rule...you better have a poppy on your jacket. I don't want to hear your excuses, the most common of which being "I can't find a collection box"....bullshit. They are not hard to find if you just look around you, they are at all LCBO's (which you know you frequent), many Tim Horton's, Starbucks, dollar stores, coffee shops, etc etc. This shouldn't be something you just toss a quarter at and grab if you happen to see one while going about your business...this is something you need to seek out and make sure you have. Why? Because of the way the elderly veterans smile at you when you donate or pass you when you wear one. You are not wearing that symbol for you...you are wearing it for what it stands for and for the people who fell for its meaning. Look at yourself, look at your house, your family, your job, your possessions...how much of that do you owe to what the people before you have done? Yep, every single solitary thing.
If you are not originally from Canada, you still better put one of those on, because without the people you're wearing it for, you wouldn't have had a country to come to. Call it racist, but I see an extremely small portion of visual minorities in Toronto wearing poppies, and I can't say I know why.
Those of you who know me know that I am not just ranting my usual one-off rant...I take this particular thing to heart, which is why I have a poppy tattoo along with the names of the 2 bravest men I've ever known, both of whom fought in war and to whom I owe everything. I guess what I don't understand is the utter selfishness of people who think that we can forget how we got where we are and why we get to be, do and grow as do in Canada. Sure, Canada is not perfect, no country is...but think of how much worse it can be. Look at the wars, the bombings, the tyrants, the starvation and the suffering around the globe and then tell me that walking an extra block and spending your change on a pin is far too much work to show that you're proud of where you live.
Are you a woman? In many countries you'd have no rights and be denied education, put on a poppy.
Are you gay or have gay friends? In some countries, homosexuality is punishable by death, put on a poppy.
Do you have food for dinner? Millions of people don't, put on a poppy.
Did anyone in your family ever fight in any war? Yes, they did, and they did it for you, put on a poppy.
I bet you'd walk an extra few blocks for your favourite coffee, so c'mon....let's make this hapPIN. (yep, couldn't go a whole post without a pun).
