...... if...........

Been a roller coaster emotional ride today  - memories, if, .....
Possibly the weather - wet heavy snow overnight, probably 10cm and just a plain nuisance. Not worth clearing but it sticks to everything.

After mucking out came in for a quick cup of coffee before thinking of where to go for our walk, knowing it was pointless around here, Flash would be unhappy and I would not be able to go far in the sticky, slippery snow. Had a quick look at emails and saw friend Christa, a bliped, non Bliper, who sometimes reads my dribble to catch up on news, had written a very interesting bit on yesterdays chained up cows. That gave me an idea and so we set off towards Ottobeuren and I took the photo on the way.

Then a good walk in our old Bannwald woods/forest. Back home composed a wonderfully long humourous Blip based on Christa's email. As I was about to publish, somehow hit the wrong key and puff, the whole thing was gone - pls Blip HQ bring back the preview function which was also a wonderful feature to do intermittent saves.

The motivation was gone again so closed the PC and started the afternoon round of animal feeding and night time preparation. Where does time go?

By the time I thought about getting back to Blip, I realised what had been the problem. Since yesterday evening have been seeing on TV and hearing on radio lots of things on the Auschwitz 70th Anniversary Memorial events.

We say lightly "we must never forget" yet all of Europe is currently suffering from a very serious case of  Amnesia. The extent of mans inhumanity to it's own mankind is perhaps too unbelievable to be comprehended. This all happened just a few years before I and I guess many other Blipers were born - it's not ancient history. and we musn't think it's something to store away on the bookshelf to collect dust.

Even as an "outsider" in Germany, one of the things that annoys me greatly is publicity seeking  politicians in other parts of Europe, using the events 70 years ago to make current comparisons. Nothing can compare,. This is inexusable contempt of the experiences of the survivors and insult to at least two generations of post WWII Germans.

To end the day on a positive, I have been so impressed by many of the interviews of the survivors - their ability to forgive and for this alone we must pay our highest respect. Several of the stories included episodes told with the wicked sense of Jewish humour, particularly in regard to themselves. Very unnerving to experience this for the first time as happened to me as a teenager.

As one survivor said today "we musn't let our past become our childrens future"

Christa - I will get your message posted on Blip soon, I know you will understand