I don't stop for the national anthem - I guess it doesn't really mean much to me. *
And Taps - well, a brother who learned trumpet, and spending a lot of time in the music room at high school has partly desensitized me to it. Especially when played in a novice-y way.
But combine either with a group of soldiers, or either in the vicinity of an ANZAC memorial or a funeral, and yes, I damn well stop and wait.
* In general, Australians don't seem to have much patriotism for symbols. Flags, anthems, all seem a bit 'meh, okay' to most of the Aussies I know. But at least around my friends, ANZAC memorials are sacred, you do NOT climb Uluru, and you protect national parks. It's also common to be a member of the Army Reserve, the Surf Lifesavers, the State Emergency Service, the Country Fire Authority, or at least some community organisation that's restoring bushland or looking after the local disabled or some such. Pragmatic patriotism.
And Taps - well, a brother who learned trumpet, and spending a lot of time in the music room at high school has partly desensitized me to it. Especially when played in a novice-y way.
But combine either with a group of soldiers, or either in the vicinity of an ANZAC memorial or a funeral, and yes, I damn well stop and wait.
* In general, Australians don't seem to have much patriotism for symbols. Flags, anthems, all seem a bit 'meh, okay' to most of the Aussies I know. But at least around my friends, ANZAC memorials are sacred, you do NOT climb Uluru, and you protect national parks. It's also common to be a member of the Army Reserve, the Surf Lifesavers, the State Emergency Service, the Country Fire Authority, or at least some community organisation that's restoring bushland or looking after the local disabled or some such. Pragmatic patriotism.
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