If Quebec has never changed the National Anthem, should we??
First thing’s first. Happy Canada Day to all fellow Canucks who might be reading this today.
Second when I’m wrong I say I’m wrong. Back when I ranted on twitter a few weeks ago about tradition with the National Anthem, blah, blah, blah, etc, etc, when they were crying about equality, and why it needed to be changed I had a fit of my own. Saying that we need to honor some traditions around here, or the place is going to go to shit. Well guess what? I’ve since done some research and what I’ve learned is that the Canadian English version of our National Anthem has been changed quite a few times. Don’t ask me exactly how many, but I think I remember more than three, but not more than eight? If that helps. I never wrote about it on here, because well to be honest with you, so many other hot topics presented themselves, and then as it got closer to Canada Day I figured THAT WOULD BE THE PERFECT DAY to broach this extremely sensitive topic. So I’m sorry, I was wrong. I was all mouthy about “keep with tradition”, and turns out “all thy sons command” is not the original lyric, so go ahead and change it. I was wrong, and now I’m not that attached, since nobody else in this Country, apart from the french. Turns out they’ve never changed their version. Funny that, the province who wanted to leave Canada, are the only ones who have never f’d with the anthem. “Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm.” Do me one small favour, for the love of God, don’t make it that stupid “in all of us command”? I dislike that so much. Like so, so, much.
So I’m not hooked on the tradition bit anymore, but I do have some strong feelings about “why” we’re changing it, and here they are. I believe we all have the freedom to be who we truly are, who we really relate to in our own skin. If you’re a man who identifies as a woman, and vice versa, I believe there is nobody on this planet who can tell you that you shouldn’t be that person/gender. It really, quite frankly is nobody’s business but yours. You only have one life on this planet, and you should live it authentically, and beautifully, YOU. I also feel we should be free to love who we want to love, regardless of race, creed or religion. I’ve always told my girls, “whoever loves you best, treats you in the way you’ve always desired to be treated, who has your back in any and all situations, and isn’t afraid to call you on your shit, grab hold and never let them go. Regardless of gender, race, religious or economic background. Life is simultaneously too short, and too long, to spend it miserable.”
I’m a believer, and a supporter of honoring your true self. What I am not a supporter of though is why does this “new world” feel that everything needs to be “right” or “non offensive” where will this blurring of lines concerning gender, and so many other things end? Like am I going to have to stop telling people they have beautiful blue eyes because somebody who has brown eyes and is standing next to them is offended by me referring to the person with the blue eyes as having beautiful eyes? What about if somebody is fabulously tall, and they’re standing next to a short person, and the short person gets their feelings hurt, because they aren’t tall too?
Come on people, lighten the f*# up. Not everything is going to sit right with me, hell I wish I was four inches taller, and some pounds lighter. But you know what? I’m NOT. And I’m not going to bitch slap every single woman who is, or tell her that she cannot be, because I’m not. You see, she can’t help how tall she is, or what colour her eyes are anymore than I can help that I was born a woman, who relates to my gender. I’m not saying you shouldn’t be who you are, I’m saying the exact opposite. We’re all amazing, and fabulous just the way we are. Made perfect, in my opinion. I’m just wondering if it might be about time to be wholly thankful that we live in a Country, in a community where we are free to live authentically as ourselves, whatever that looks like, and that is super cool. What really makes me “go hmmm” though is why can’t we do all this without having to make sure everybody else who doesn’t relate to you may also continue to feel free to live true to themselves without worry that they might offend others for just doing what you want to do, which is live freely, as they are.
“Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm…
