Remembering

I have a friend at work who's a former serviceman, a veteran, if you will, and I wished him a Happy Remembrance Day and thanked him for his service, and it couldn't have been more awkward. "It's such a big thing in the States, isn't it?" He smiled at me, trying to blow off my gratitude with humor, but somehow I can't believe that England doesn't care for their veterans as much (at least verbally so) as the US. Giant poppies are plastered all over everything including buildings and trains. The metro is a sea of poppies, schools and businesses paused today for a 2-minute silence, and school assemblies and public television have been showing war films, telling war stories, and running documentaries on wars and veterans. In the US, there's the famous Veteran's Day Sales going on "People gave their lives - Everyone shop!"

After a short pause in our talk, my friend looked me in the eye and said "Honestly, no one's ever thanked me before or mentioned Remembrance Day to me." Perplexed, I returned, "But don't they know you? Don't they know you served?" "Well it isn't a secret" was his casual reply.

So again, British stiff upper lip is to blame for this. Let's not share our feelings. Let's not mention things... Leave it to the American to break out an effluvium of gratitude on Remembrance Day... I refrained from giving him a hug right there in the corridor. If I had, he'd probably have run away in terror or broken down in tears...

Still, I am grateful to all of the men and women who have volunteered, who have served, who have trained, fought, healed, traveled, who have given moments of their lives that they can never get back in the service of peace throughout the world.

You are remembered. Thank you.