Respect

Over the weekend the UK remembered those lost in battle during the first and second world war with armistice day. Nowadays with the current climate of world affairs we also remember those lost in battles in more recent times. I strongly follow this remembrance and always no matter where I am or what I’m doing stop to observe the two minutes silence. This year I happened to be sitting in the hair dressers and I made a point of saying when I sat down that we were to stop what we were doing at 11’oclock and pause for silence, Hayley my fanatic trimmer gladly agreed. To my surprise and somewhat disappointment after we paused the junior hair dresser, who could not have been more than 17 had to ask why we’d observed the silence and what it was for! Is this the future of our nation? Do teenagers really understand what Armistice Day is?

On Sunday I was tuned in to Sky TV to watch the football game between Reading and Tottenham. I watched as the players and crowd observed a minutes silence before kick off but again to my disgust the camera panned across to show two young boys larking around and smiling during the silence. Call me old fashioned but it should be obligatory to observe this moment in the correct manor. Men and women of yester year gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives for us to enjoy the freedom we do today. I hope this isn’t an indication of what will become the norm for the future generation. It’s important we remember how our great nation became so great.

For The Fallen
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.
Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.
But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.