Excellent.

I was very happy I finally got the chance to see it. The original meaning of military tattoo is a military drum performance, but nowadays it sometimes means army displays more generally.

The themes: the military, police, fire, patriotism, Scottish heritage, international cooperation, tradition. Military music: drums and pipes.

It’s so unhip. So retro. So old fashioned … I found it very charming. It’s the anti-Cirque.

Happily the old men in charge laughed off any suggestion to pander with a reference to Michael Jackson. In fact, they don’t know who he was. … But they do know Abba.

Though I was born to parents both in the military, my upbringing was just the opposite. The formative book of my teen years was anti-war: Catch-22.

The first adult movie I saw was anti-war: Kelly’s Heros.

As a young adult I told Rich that I would rather be Red than Dead. (As a gymnastics coach, I might just have been better off under the Commies than under Trudeau.)

But I’ve always respected the military. They are clear on purpose. Announced loudly and clearly during the Tattoo:

There are no good wars. And there is nothing good about war.
(Nod to Benjamin Franklin.)

A strong military is all about preventing war. And minimizing the risk of war.

Our greatest danger in 2009 is the hazard that the wrong people in Pakistan might get their hands on nuclear weapons. (Not climate change. Please.) We need a strong military to do what we can to minimize the risk of nuclear war.

At MEC I happened to see a young female soldier shopping for a personal backpack for her upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. Very young. I could only think of how much braver she was than me. I’d hate to be going over there right now.

Kudos to everyone in police, fire prevention and the military. I salute you.

official website – Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo

Here is the 2009 promo video on YouTube. (The footage is from previous years. But you’ll get the idea.)

The Tattoo is too long and slow for kids. At least 3 were asleep near where I was sitting by half way through the performance. But I recommend you attend if ever you get the chance.

Leave a comment if you’ve seen a Tattoo.