The disgruntled patriot

It's Baby J's second National Day this year and she's been a little bit more involved in the celebrations than she was last year. Of course, we have to take into consideration the fact that last year, she was a 6 week old squirmy cry-ey babe who was making everyone feel a little bit rattled by her colicky ways.

This year, she got to go to school with Mommy for celebrations. Unfortunately, she wasn't in the best of moods. She wasn't her usual chatty smiley self although there were occasional flashes of it. Most of the time, she looked serious and a little bit sullen. I think it was all too much for her. Hordes of people, loud amplified out of tuned singing and just far too much happening. Any one would be grouchy.

She did get quite a kick out of the flags and waving them around. But even that wore thin fast. So even though the concert was still probably going on, I spirited her home, back to normality and security. She's passed out now, even without her morning milk. But all in all, not too great an expedition for her.

Perhaps her parents' cynicism about the country and all it stands for got rubbed off on her unknowingly. I'd be a bit sad if that were the case. Children should have fun singing the national anthem with gusto, wave the flag till their arms dropped off, yell out the pledge and know the national songs by heart. And they should realise for themselves what a farce it all is only when they're older and are able to dissect the pledge and discover that the line in the pledge about building a democratic society is a load of crap. But not before that. I believe in youthful optimism and idealism.

Unfortunately, if you looked at my daughter and the apathetic way she's holding the flag, she's already there even though she can't say her own name yet.


Either that or she's just sleepy.

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