Old Project Avalon Forum (ARCHIVE) - View Single Post - The thread that goes against everything we want... *4 Reports* Simon

Genevieve · 09-27-2008, 01:49 PM

I have been reading this thread with much interest, much trepidation and some amusement.

The truth is most of us in this forum have absolutely NO first hand idea of what it is like when the confines of law & order breakdown - or what it is like to be taken over by another enforcement - or even how your loving neighbours will react when they themselves are starving.

Truth is neither to i - personally. That is where it is important to listen to your elders!!! lol

For my part my paternal grandparents lived thru the German occupation of Holland during WWII. They emigrated to Australia when my father was 10. I as the first grandchild had the (sometimes unwanted) luxury of being privvy to all that happened to them during that war!! lol Now i am eternaly grateful for their concern in sharing it all with me.

From all the stories I heard over the years ( and believe me some of them i know word for word!!! lol) a few distinct codes so to speak stand out.

never underestimate what some people will do when it is their life or their child's life at stake

conversely never underestimate how wonderful people can be in the face of extreme adversity

always remember your humanity and maintain a sense of humour

never give up hope

Points of example -

german soldiers who came to their house (after all they were just people too) and who made my dad his first pair of shoes out of a piece of leather
on returning from germany.

neighbours segregating my great grandfather AFTER the war because the poor man chose to join the communist party in a desperate attempt to avert the nazis during the war

stories of my grandfather cycling back from the german shipyards where he was "commissioned" to work as a boilermaker on a bicycle with rubber tyres cut up for wheels and smuggling some german parachute silk out for Oma to make stockings with and some real soap!!

living in one room of a former mansion where Queen Juliana used to holiday after the dykes were bombed and my father getting "arrested: at 4 years old for sitting on the head of the statue of said queen!!

To put this all in context

NONE of us know what we will do in times of adversity but it is worth mentioning here that NONE of my rellies had or chose or even contemplated using firearms!!!

But they survived with love and dignity and their humanity intact.

09-27-2008, 01:49 PM	#29
Genevieve Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: southern part of western australia Posts: 86	Re: The thread that goes against everything we want... I have been reading this thread with much interest, much trepidation and some amusement. The truth is most of us in this forum have absolutely NO first hand idea of what it is like when the confines of law & order breakdown - or what it is like to be taken over by another enforcement - or even how your loving neighbours will react when they themselves are starving. Truth is neither to i - personally. That is where it is important to listen to your elders!!! lol For my part my paternal grandparents lived thru the German occupation of Holland during WWII. They emigrated to Australia when my father was 10. I as the first grandchild had the (sometimes unwanted) luxury of being privvy to all that happened to them during that war!! lol Now i am eternaly grateful for their concern in sharing it all with me. From all the stories I heard over the years ( and believe me some of them i know word for word!!! lol) a few distinct codes so to speak stand out. never underestimate what some people will do when it is their life or their child's life at stake conversely never underestimate how wonderful people can be in the face of extreme adversity always remember your humanity and maintain a sense of humour never give up hope Points of example - german soldiers who came to their house (after all they were just people too) and who made my dad his first pair of shoes out of a piece of leather on returning from germany. neighbours segregating my great grandfather AFTER the war because the poor man chose to join the communist party in a desperate attempt to avert the nazis during the war stories of my grandfather cycling back from the german shipyards where he was "commissioned" to work as a boilermaker on a bicycle with rubber tyres cut up for wheels and smuggling some german parachute silk out for Oma to make stockings with and some real soap!! living in one room of a former mansion where Queen Juliana used to holiday after the dykes were bombed and my father getting "arrested: at 4 years old for sitting on the head of the statue of said queen!! To put this all in context NONE of us know what we will do in times of adversity but it is worth mentioning here that NONE of my rellies had or chose or even contemplated using firearms!!! But they survived with love and dignity and their humanity intact.