Alright, we all know the history behind November 11th. It was the day that World War I ended, and it's a day we remember those who we lost in that war as well as every other one. We respect the dead and what they fought to save. To protect. For love or duty, it doesn't really matter, we remember them and we remember what they did for us. Yadda, yadda, yadda.
So today we had the giant ceremony right. I, being in the local band, was playing background music for the laying of the wreaths when movement caught my eye. True, I should have been reading my music, but I'd played the hymn so many times that my fingers knew where to go. There were four kids, not so much kids as young adults. Maybe twenty somethings, but they acted as if they were still teens from what I saw. Here we are at a gathering to remember the dead and to realize how lucky we ourselves were at the time, and these four were talking, not even quietly by the looks I noticed they got from those sitting in front of them, and dashing around.
Needless to say I was pretty ticked. I didn't even know them and I wanted them out. Rememberance day has only recently become a day that I've appreciated and honored, not because of something that happened, other then my own growing maturity and realizations of what could happen now and what did happen long ago. All the losses suffered.
I'm not talking the gross number of bodies lost, I'm talking about each separate individual loss, how that one person getting lost, or killed, affected everyone that they knew. Thinking about each of the mothers that had to come to terms with never seeing her son's eyes light up at the sight of her freshly baked pies again, or a womans loss of the gentle glow of her husbands love when he looked at his baby boy. Those are things lost forever, but never forgotten. This is what we remember and respect.
And then there are those who don't care, like the four mentioned above. Sure I feel outraged, but I also feel pity. I mean, if they can't realize the immense meanings behind Remembrance Day, what does it show and say about them? What are they going to end up teaching their children? It's a sad fact that as the time of the wars pass behind us stretches, so will the respect given to those who fought in them.
It's up to us to remember what happened, because we are the future, and sooner or later, we will dictate what happens to our futures. A verse I heard once went, 'The history book on the shelf is always repeating itself.'
Sadly, it couldn't be more true.
Edit: I found out later via my mother that my father is one of those types of people. He made up his own words to our national anthem as well as 'God Save the Queen'. He cracked jokes about the war and thos who took part in it, and complained often that Remembrance day should be no more.
I'm very dissapointed.
So today we had the giant ceremony right. I, being in the local band, was playing background music for the laying of the wreaths when movement caught my eye. True, I should have been reading my music, but I'd played the hymn so many times that my fingers knew where to go. There were four kids, not so much kids as young adults. Maybe twenty somethings, but they acted as if they were still teens from what I saw. Here we are at a gathering to remember the dead and to realize how lucky we ourselves were at the time, and these four were talking, not even quietly by the looks I noticed they got from those sitting in front of them, and dashing around.
Needless to say I was pretty ticked. I didn't even know them and I wanted them out. Rememberance day has only recently become a day that I've appreciated and honored, not because of something that happened, other then my own growing maturity and realizations of what could happen now and what did happen long ago. All the losses suffered.
I'm not talking the gross number of bodies lost, I'm talking about each separate individual loss, how that one person getting lost, or killed, affected everyone that they knew. Thinking about each of the mothers that had to come to terms with never seeing her son's eyes light up at the sight of her freshly baked pies again, or a womans loss of the gentle glow of her husbands love when he looked at his baby boy. Those are things lost forever, but never forgotten. This is what we remember and respect.
And then there are those who don't care, like the four mentioned above. Sure I feel outraged, but I also feel pity. I mean, if they can't realize the immense meanings behind Remembrance Day, what does it show and say about them? What are they going to end up teaching their children? It's a sad fact that as the time of the wars pass behind us stretches, so will the respect given to those who fought in them.
It's up to us to remember what happened, because we are the future, and sooner or later, we will dictate what happens to our futures. A verse I heard once went, 'The history book on the shelf is always repeating itself.'
Sadly, it couldn't be more true.
Edit: I found out later via my mother that my father is one of those types of people. He made up his own words to our national anthem as well as 'God Save the Queen'. He cracked jokes about the war and thos who took part in it, and complained often that Remembrance day should be no more.
I'm very dissapointed.
Community Member
Fairly pitiful in itself that we should need a day on the calendar to remind us of these things, that we don't always remain vigilant on the subject. Least in your terms.
So what if these four guys did what you said, that they paid respect to those who came before them and their losses. So they did this for one day, and then on the next they totally forgot about it and payed it no more attention, as I would generalize that at least some people must have done. Seems completely pointless to me then. Then again, it's quite convenient. A day a year.
And hey, no need to be that uptight. I might possibly have the most pity for the person who cannot laugh at a given situation. Sure, it may seem "innappropriate," but life's no fun unless you can laugh at crap. And if you don't, you're just left with your disgust. In that case, I'd much rather take the former.
You need a dash of contentedness to combat that growing pessimism. Or you could rant more.
Not that, if I were to think about it, I don't have any respect for our veterans or anything.