A Monarchy is more costly than a Presidency & both are for what exactly ? Criminals are even more expensive but the most costly are the stupid !

Hasbeen,

I'm happy that you have such happy memories of a royal
visit. And times today are certainly different. We have
understaffed aged care facilities, unemployment, problems
in our health systems, a COVID pandemic affecting our
economy. The days of privilege, birth, and class, is
not something most Australians value any more.

Prince Andrew's settlement out of court with the young
female accuser proves that no one is above the law.
Nor should they be. Perhaps things are moving in the right
direction after all - when even the royals can be held to
account for their actions.

individual,

Not sure about your stupidity remark.
I think it's more unwise decisions that we all make
but in many cases - we're not aware that they're
unwise. We all make mistakes but hopefully
that's how we grow and learn. Don't we?

Thank you FOXY, apropos writing some of my experiences down. Truth be known my memory is going, and besides, the sort of target audience (readership) would be bored out of their wits after reading three or four pages I would think? My military experiences are quite a different matter altogether, but even those, I'd be most reluctant to repeat.

Besides, you'd not wish to read any material authored by a 'Baby Killer'. It was ANZAC Day about 1978/9 my wife and I were walking to the assembly point ready for the ANZAC Day March in Sydney. Where I would join my unit for the march, and she would follow along with several of our friends to the Hyde Park War Memorial. When a group of young women (five or six in number) aged between 16 to 20 walked past us and screamed in my face accusing me of being a baby killer! Obviously they recognising I was a Veteran due to the gongs on my chest

I was utterly unprepared for this verbal assault, and I don't mind admitting, it shook me up somewhat. My Wife(dec) began crying after she recovered from her anger, and it resulted in a pall of disappointment enveloping over the entire day.

I could write plenty on that **unnecessary** war, but who would want to read it - Now its passed into history for some; but never for me.

Dear O Sung Wu,

People can be hateful. Especially young people who
don't are ignorant of events and history. I'm so
sorry that you had to go through this sort of rubbish.
I have the highest respect for the men who served this
nation and continue to do so. I always buy the most
expensive badge on ANZAC Day that I can. It's the least
I can do.

Years ago I was lucky to meet Sir Weary Dunlop when he gave
a talk at the library I worked in. I presented him with
a gift on behalf of the Lithuanian Community in Melbourne.
I was very moved by his recollections - we all were in
the Library Conference room.

As for your writing down your recollections? Any library
would be lucky to get copies of your experiences. And
they would be used by students researching those historical
times.

Anyway, give it some thought. Your experiences are so
valuable and worth recording if not in writing - oral
histories can also be arranged.

Again, many thanks FOXY.

I'll give it some thought FOXY but I don't think so, not now. I try to live in the present, and let history consign itself to the dark vestiges of my wardrobe somewhere, save a few B & W Photos in my album. And very few wish to hear my years in the police except some of the funnier moments, which even give me a bit of a giggle still. Thanks again FOXY, you're a kind hearted lady, for sure.