Monday, November 12, 2007

Remembering Remembrance Day

Great video here called "A Pittance of Time". (I would try posting it, but I am hopelessly technically challenged. One of my fellow BT's tried instructing me with long-distance education, but I'm still struggling.)

Anyway, back to the video. I was in exactly this situation yesterday at 11:00 a.m. - In the grocery store when a young female voice read "In Flanders Fields" via the sound system.

People slowly began stopping and listening. At the end, she requested that we all stand for two minutes of silence. I looked down for a while, and then started peeking to observe how others were reacting to the request.

It is a somewhat bizarre situation to see people with shopping carts frozen in time. There are always a handful who are so caught up with their own to-do list that they don't even realize what's going on. They dash through the aisles of still bodies as if this was an every-day occurrence. A floor cleaner kept on pushing his mop, seemingly oblivious to the events around him.

One woman veered close to me, and suddenly stopped dead with embarrassed realization of the social faux pas she had just committed.

We both waited, but the two minutes seemed to be going on a long time. I wondered if the girl at the microphone had forgotten to tell us when to resume shopping. Slowly people started moving again. I am ashamed to admit that even I began filling my cart again.

Then the voice over the loudspeaker finally advised us that the two minutes were up, and thanked us for our participation.

Two minutes out of the whole year to show respect.

It seems like a long time. Imagine how long the wars seemed to our veterans.


* * * *

Update: I missed this great 'Point of View' in yesterday's Sun - The very high price of freedom. It ends with the following poignant statement:

And finally, that the reason we are a strong and free nation today, is that they paid the price freedom demands, and that sometimes, the price freedom demands, is blood.




3 comments:

Anonymous said...

They died so we could turn this country into a liberal multicult swamp.
(real conservative)

Anonymous said...

People don't realize exactly how much they take for granted. It's disgusting. I once had it out with someone who told me they "threw their poppy out". I'll never forget it..

Joanne (True Blue) said...

I think in general people are becoming more aware of what these brave soldiers have done for us. At least I hope so.

I certainly look at the veterans selling poppies with much more appreciation than I ever did before.