Vimy

We all have those moments in our lives that we remember forever: our grade 12 prom, graduation, our first post-grad job.  The moments that mean a lot to us, that help shape us into the people we become later in life.  Five years ago today, I had one of those moments.

Ninety-five years ago, World War I was taking over in every possible way: few places in Europe were safe, nearly every male over the age of 18 (and many under) from North America was over there fighting, and women were taking over, for the first time.  On April 9, 1917, the battle of Vimy Ridge was fought.  Many say that this battle was what gave Canada a name with the rest of the world.  In this battle, 3600 Canadian soldiers were killed in one day.  Five years ago, 3600 Canadian students travelled to the sight of the battle of Vimy Ridge to celebrate and remember the 90th anniversary of this battle.  I was one of those students.

I literally can't even describe how it felt to be part of history in that way.  Each student was assigned a soldier who died in Vimy, a soldier that they would be representing.  We got to research them, learn about them... get to know them.  It's weird, to know so much about someone who lived so long before I did, who's not related to me, who really has nothing to do with me.  Except... well, he has everything to do with me.

I find it really difficult to express what this day means to me.  Learning so much about someone, especially someone who died for our country... it has a profound effect on you.  I find that I think about him, Alfred Libby, my soldier, on a way more regular basis than I should think about someone I've never met.  Maybe that seems silly, that I think about him more than I think about some of my blood relatives.  And yea, maybe it is silly.  But somehow, it just seems right to me.

Days until summer: 11

Exams until summer: 4

Days until camp: 49