Every Sunday morning, I listen to a radio programme that plays new music. And on this day, a date when something terrible happened 34 years ago, I thought of songs about forgetting and remembering, of which there are countless: “Don’t You Forget About Me”, “Remind Me to Forget”, “Forget Me”, “I Won’t Forget You”, etc.
Meaning: don’t forget. Meaning: how could I ever forget you? I cannot! There are also numerous songs about forgiveness “Forgiving You Was Easy”, “If I Could Turn Back Time”, “Please Forgive Me”, and “Sorry, Blame It on Me”. There’s even a song called “Posthumous Forgiveness” by a band called Tame Impala. It’s never too late to apologise, it’s never too late to ask for forgiveness. It’s never too late to rectify mistakes. The trouble is trying to rectify the past and admitting mistakes is the hardest thing to do, particularly for the powerful. The trouble is you can’t move on till you come clean about what was done. I don’t expect the terrible thing that happened 34 years ago to be made right somehow.
Early Sunday evening, I attended a church service. We are starting a sermon series on the book of Zechariah in the Old Testament. The prophet tells the people of Israel that the Lord Almighty wants them to “return to him” and if they turned from their evil ways and their evil practices, they would receive God’s mercy. These were God’s chosen people and often did really horrible things, received punishment, but also mercy if they were truly sorry for what they did. Looking at history, I can’t see the situation changing anytime soon.
How to cite: Eagleton, Jennifer. “Just Another Day: Jennifer Eagleton.” Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, 4 Jun. 2023, chajournal.blog/2023/06/04/jennifer-another-day.
Jennifer Eagleton, a Hong Kong resident since October 1997, is a close observer of Hong Kong society and politics. She has seen it all in the city and has written about it both academically and creativity. The ups and downs of recent Hong Kong history have spurred her creative juices. [All contributions by Jennifer Eagleton.]
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