Personal Contemplation-The changing Years

Yes, the more things change the more things stay the same. Agreed? Maybe...read what I wrote 12 years ago.
I am revisiting the shores of the Kochel See, Bavaria, Germany in my mind as I stare at the photo lying on my desk. My mind recalls 1950.
It was later in the day when we were there, our mother and her four offspring, four daughters.
I am dressed in my best, as we all are, hoping that we would appeal. We are all nervous for this photograph is to be sent to Australia and Canada in the hope of attracting a suitable host. Perhaps a family which would be willing to sponsor us.
The little girl in the front, all of four years old, is standing perfectly straight and still, both feet parallel and together, arms side by side, obediently smiling. But both arms appear unnaturally extended, almost like a soldier's arms: trained soldier of fortune, perhaps.
I have to do my best I told myself then: look friendly. But I needn't have bothered. Our mother's world-weary look in her deeply set eyes, ringed by ever darkening circles and so emphasizing the bare bones of her normally high cheek bones, said it all. I am thinking now in the year 2001, how life has changed for us all and how there is no room to regret decisions made at that time of impoverishment in Germany.
We had indeed been the lucky ones. Australian families welcomed us with open arms ignoring willingly our recognised position as the enemy, post World War II. Some children were not so kind but over time we experienced unquestionable hospitality despite our obvious differences. These were the days when people cared for each other purely on humanitarian grounds; when people took responsibility for each other's welfare (and their own) beyond the alien language spoken, the unusual appearance in dress or the differing religious orientation.
Australian willingness to accept these differences resulted over the years for our culture to be regarded as a special gift to Australia to be shared and used to broaden Australia's life experience. Yes, migrants' contributions to society were thus valued and recognised.
How different society is now. A society fed on the notion of fear wherein survival is the motivating factor. The concept of possession and not sharing being the underlying principle.
We are taught that what we have is our own and not to be shared. No longer is it reasonable to trust your neighbours, trust our significant citizens, our valued institutions and most of all we are taught daily that the "d" in difference stands for danger and destruction.
To survive we must maintain our sense of separateness and be prepared to fight to protect what we have created so far. In direct contradiction and in economic terms we are advised to look towards the global village in positive terms and appreciate the arrangement for our benefit.
These thoughts were written by myself at the beginning of the New Millenium and twelve years later I sit and ask myself how different is it in reality today? Have we moved on to better understanding between ourselves? Do we accept difference as a positive or are we still terrified at the notion? I think you know your answer as I do mine. The photo in question is on an earlier Post..."More memories".