Ramblings for the Day

by Anita Benedict

I have been craving a Harry Potter movie marathon. Some days you just want to escape to a magical world, but even

that world was fraught with anger, evil and loss. Good prevailed, but it

came at the devastating loss of wonderful, colourful characters who accepted death could be a consequence to fight for the freedom from the dark magic. Another positive is that some of the

“bad” characters were found to have a heart, and became humble when they realized the leader they were following was only after power for himself. He was willing to sacrifice them for

his greater good.

   He promised them things he knew they craved. Greater magic, many were quite wealthy and if not wealthy, were a powerful influence, their very name creating fear wherever they went. I

have a feeling the author, who herself is not well liked for her nasty comments about trans-women, may have used historical figures as models. Did her own wealth and power create a hateful monster, or was it there buried all along? One theory is that there is black mold in her house twisting her brain; that can be fixed.

   In one of the books, there are magical creatures that only a few can see. Harry had no idea no one else could see the “horses” pulling the carriages. Only those who have witnessed a death

could see them. Thestrals, as they were called, were dark winged horses with a skeletal body, reptilian facial features, and wings resembling a bat. Scary sounding, but gentle.

    Harry had witnessed the death of his mother that ended a war, a rampage of destruction led by the power-hungry leader of the dark side. A child, whose mother’s love saved him. He lost more loved ones throughout the series, all of them stood up for him, and some died for him, because he was Hope.

   So even a magical world may not be the escape we want from the darkness of the world. How lucky we are here in North America to not have witnessed the senseless destruction around the world in the name of greed, or hate, or power. Destruction whom? I was told I should watch what I say or write or “they” will come after me. Scary thought, if we lived in a country like that, we don’t.  

  My dad and his brothers were likely scared, the thousands of others were likely scared as they went off to war. But they went.

Young teens most of them. 

    They went to war so we could choose a better life. They went to war so we would not be forced into boxes and told what to

do, or how to do it. They went so our children would not face what many in the European countries were facing, and what many face today. How do we repay that debt? Lest we Forget?

    Powerful words. Have we forgotten?

    Magical worlds exist. We have one, it’s called Canada. It has been rough, but we are not defined by the political or radical leaders. Canadians are beyond that. We have always been known as good people. I would rather vote for a donkey butt (didn’t want to swear) at least they are more useful than a constipated, hate filled one.