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Australia Day

By 09:28:00 , ,

I was not going to post about Australia Day, because it forgot about if for so long but then I found the paper that I had written most of the content of this post on during the ceremony, so in the end I am gong to share it and some photos, even if that was weeks and weeks ago.




The only noise a speaker talking on and on, the occasional shuffling as positions are changed. There comes a burst of clapping and the person talking changes, all is still again, all except the fluttering of one white moth flying above the audience and floating down to rest on the chair in front of me. To one side of me are rows of people filled seats and then the three ranks of soldiers standing still as stone. Guns are carried by all but one who holds a ceremonial sword high. Then the speaker finishes and the crowd comes out of is slumber into a tremendous thunder of clapping. 



A while later the band starts up and the soldiers unfreeze and stand to attention and we all rise to sing our national anthem everyone is paying attention now and a great noise fills the hall. Everyone remembers the first verse, but there is a falter in the crowd as the second verse begins, it is sung much less often.  Applause rings out again bouncing off the walls and ringing from hand to hand. We have two new Australian citizens, the soldiers move again, saluting them and then turning as one, march out of the hall as erratic clapping fills the air once more, then evens out with the beat of army boots on the wooden floor.


This was actually my favorite speaker, much more interesting and well spoken than some of the others




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