The Royal Wedding...and me!

Today is Good Friday and it reminds me of how much religion determined my view of the world during my youth. Of course I wondered why Friday was "Good" if it recalled the day a man was crucified. Later I learned that "good" in Modern English had the meaning of 'holy'. Other cultures use a different name. Russia calls this day Passion Friday. Nevertheless, I learned much from my religious experiences but, in the end I had to make my own conclusions if I wanted to remain true to myself.

An event about to unfold in just a few days will be the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton in Westminster Abby. You can watch this wedding on TV at an ungodly hour in the morning. I will be safe and sound asleep in bed! Canada Post has batches of new commemorative stamps, souvenirs and collectibles available to commemorate this grand event. No doubt, there will be hundreds, indeed thousands, participating, at least electronically, in the wedding and its pageantry.

Theoretically, I should be doing the same thing. As a young boy I was greatly influenced by my "ties" to England. Although the Maritime community I grew up in was multi-cultural, it was nothing compared to Toronto where I now live. The major difference at that time, was the result of a mixture of religious belief and national origin. Society was basically split into two distinct groups - Catholics and Protestants. But Saint John was more than that. It was, and I presume still is, THE Loyalist City.

Growing up during the Second World War taught us a great deal about the power of propaganda. The British flag was everywhere; hobbed-nailed booted Nazis, right arm raised in the "heil" salute, peered out at us from every billboard, newspaper and magazine. Marching bands kept our emotions on edge, and the plight of the 'mother country' was forever before us. Even recalling these memories elicits the hate and racism that was an integral part of our lives without any of us realizing what it was. While it is true there was a terrible war and great human suffering at that time, nevertheless the memories of our hate (patriotism!) still make me shudder today.

Although I was of Irish background I was taught I had a "British heart of oak".
"There'll always be an England, and England shall be free, if England means as much to you as England means to me..." we sang with great gusto in the classroom every day. Indeed, it was God's duty to "Save our Gracious King" for we were a people living far away from our true home.

Canada, and most Canadians, have come a long way since that time. I would like to think that powerful people could never again plunge mankind into such horror, but we all know it is still very much part of our world and Canada is still at war!

Why do we let it happen? Is it because as adults we give up control of our own lives and let others determine our fate? Was that not called 'brain washing' when the other guy did it? Is it possible to change things? Perhaps if each one of us takes charge of our own 'being' in the world, things will gradually change for the better. No doubt there are a great many elements that form our understanding of 'being' in the world. Someone once wrote that the only fully adjusted person is the one stretched out in the coffin. No doubt that person is perfectly adjusted to his or her environment. Naturally we live, work and breath in the here-and-now. But deciding how all of this determines who we are remains our own choice before we too become fully adjusted!

In the meantime I hope the happy royal couple have a wonderful life together. But don't expect me to be part of the celebration, I love Canada too much.

And that's Dick's View of the World this Week.