May 26th Challenge

Hi it’s Christina –

Good Morning! Today is Monday, May 26^th, 2014, Memorial Day in America. A day we have set aside to honor the men and woman who gave all for their country, the men and women whose sacrifices enable us to live the lives we lead. We celebrate with parades and memorial services, proudly displayed flags, and family barbeques. Memorial Day also signals the unofficial start of summer. Because of my inclination toward writing historical fiction, I decided to do a little research on the origins of Memorial Day here, and as to how other countries commemorate their fallen

heroes.

In this country, Memorial Day started as a way to remember the fallen from the Civil War, a bloody war fought between 1861 – 1865, which pitted friend against friend, neighbor against neighbor, and even brother against brother. It was a war which divided our nation, the North against the South, over the issue of slavery. In the end, roughly three quarters of a million men lost their lives. Unfortunately, war did not end in 1865, and Memorial Day was expanded to

honor those who died in WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, The Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, Iraq, and all other military conflicts over the past 150 years which resulted in loss of life.

In Great Britain, France and Canada they celebrate Armistice Day (we call it Veteran’s Day), in November. They call it Remembrance Sunday, and it is celebrated on Sunday closest to November 11^th, the day the Germans signed the armistice ending WWI. (Canadians celebrate on the 11^th, not the

nearest Sunday.)

Italy’s Memorial Day is also celebrated in November. Nigeria did as well, but they changed it to January. South Korea celebrates on June 6^th, the month the Korean War began. Australia and New Zealand have April 25^th set aside, and all of these countries call it a variation of “Armed Forces Day”. In Turkey, March 18^th is dubbed Martyr’s Day, which is the anniversary date for victory against the Allied troups during the Gallipoli Campaign. February 23^rd is Protector of the Motherland Day in Russia.

I’m sure every country across the globe has a day set aside to honor their fallen warriors. Even though we may not agree on the ideology of other countries, paying respect to those who defended their country, is right. (Please do not think I am not saying I hold a US Marine on the same pedestal as another country holds their suicide bombers; just that we should all honor those who served.)

I am still nowhere near finished with my editing. I’m not exactly sure why, but this one is taking an inordinate amount of time. I can’t seem to focus, and end up rereading over and over again. I think I took the project on too soon after the last one, and I still haven’t recovered. I feel bad because I was so looking forward to this edit because I read, and loved, the prequel.

Oh well, time to put my nose to the grindstone. I hope you have a blessed day, and happy writing!

Your Last Challenge was:

Who says you’re too old for…

Who says you’re too old for…well, just about anything? Is there a specific age I’m supposed to give up the teddy bear my husband gave me when I was seventeen, or my love for Tigg’r? Has there been a proclamation that, because I am now forty eight years old, I should no longer enjoy roller coasters or running through a sprinkler on a hot day?

Now, I fully admit, for me personally, I am too old to be turning cartwheels, but that is purely due to back problems and not a lack of desire. If you are seventy years old, and can still do a cartwheel, well then, God bless you! Remember the story I told you about my great aunt who taught me how to double Dutch when she was in her late eighties? I doubt anyone would have had the nerve to tell Aunt Eddie she was too old to do anything.

What gives someone else the right to say you are too old for something? Do you think anyone is telling septuagenarian Raquel Welch she’s too old to wear a bikini? I think not. Here’s the skinny folks, only you should determine what you are too old for, and no one else. So go enjoy some cotton candy or a lollipop, go bicycle along the boardwalk, go enjoy a puppet show; life is too short to worry about what others think you should or shouldn’t be doing at your age.

Your Next Challenge is:

Icy fingers grabbed my wrist in the darkness…

You have ten minutes (be honest). There is no right or wrong, just write. Spelling and punctuation don’t count, and NO ONE is allowed to criticize what someone else has written. Go.