Anzac Day

Its getting close to 100 years, so youve gotta sit back and ask yourselves - what does this Day really mean to Australians?

Like a large portion of this country - I was not born here, and my parents do not fit into the "English, Scottish, Irish" mould that our sweet Banjo was referring to - but that doesnt make me any less Australian.

Whether you attend the Dawn Services, whether you have discussions with ANZAC Veterans, of whether you just respect and reflect during the minutes silence/horn-playing before the big footy game (GO THE PIES) - Im sure that everyone in this country has reflected on what the ANZACs actually mean to us as Australians.

To me, these are just a few of the things that they mean:
-The bond of mateship, sacrificing to help someone in need.
-The limitless effort, especially when you may not have the same skills/training as others around you.
-The larrikinism, not taking yourself too seriously, and knowing that sometimes the best thing you can do is keep the people around you happy and smiling.
-Determination and Courage
-Sacrifice (yeah, I think it needed to be said twice)

Whether its the Storming of the Bastille, or the Ride of Paul Revere, there are moments in a Nations history that define it. And the fact that these, or the ANZACs arriving at Gallipolli, are no longer as big a part of the national psyche as they once were is not really the issue - but that doesnt mean that we shouldnt stop reflecting on how important these events were in our History, and that we should be wary of moving too far away from the qualities that these individuals upheld.