Steeped in recollections

Sunday evening
July 16th, 2017

I am feeling well steeped this evening

just like an old tea pot

except tonight I am steeped in recollections

I may have mentioned before that our old Museum

(which was once a jail cell

for wild west law breakers, 

but for the past forty years has been a

reformed and respectable museum)

Small and somewhat inadequate, 

but now the Museum Society has another property

with a large building and room for

the old jail cell to settle in, outside.

There is also a great selection of articles, items and

newspaper clippings for which there

was formerly no room for display,

but which now need to be sorted and polished up for view.

I have taken on the job of going through old newspapers,

clipping what I deem to be precious and of value

to visitors and future generations.

This being a sit-down job and me being one of the oldest residents around.

This I have been doing for the last few days, and I must confess

it has been most enjoyable.

Things that happened - people I had almost forgotten

wonderful to make their acquaintance again!

I found a newspaper record of a talk Charles had given

at a Remembrance Day service

and it brought back the occasion,

and his words to young people of 1976

about preserving the Torch of Freedom

in peace time.

He said, in part " Nevertheless, it is good to gather once a year

and show the young that we do not forget, thought time goes on.

The Torch of Freedom has been passed to us, and in turn must

 eventually be passed down the generations.

Indeed, freedom is still the legacy, but its face has changed

with the times.  Today war is not the danger to Freedom.

There is not now a danger from without, but the

possible danger of loss of freedom from within."

The account goes on to say that Charles, taking quotes from

D.H. Lawrence and Plutarch, made the point that

freedom can slip away through luxuries and complacency.

and he posed the question

"Are we becoming slaves through default?"

In other words, by demanding more and more

from government services we entangle ourselves "in a system that

in fact restricts liberty".

And I remembered how we had discussed that when

he was preparing his talk (and at other times) and I still fear

that we are giving up our liberty and independence

for support that makes us beholden.

Well, I have gone right off the subject of 

"being steeped in recollections"

but you must forgive me....sometimes when you are the oldest

your mind wanders a bit!!!

post script - I have forgotten the Lawrence and Plutarch quotes

but nevertheless, they must have been relevant.