Garry blew into my online life on the back of a photograph. I so admired on of his entries for The Gallery, I wanted to get to know him a little better. I should have known he came from Up North from his sense of humour. Naturally I dislike this quality in him, but admire his writing so have to overlook the geographical issue. He is one for twitter banter and regularly makes me laugh with his ‘insert substitute word into film/song/book title’ entries. He also does serious stuff, and I am delighted he wanted to write about Rememberance for me:
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I think if you don’t serve, you don’t know. I think if you’re not affected, you can’t comprehend. When we stand in silence to remember the fallen, the men and women who, in Abraham Lincoln’s words, gave the last full measure of devotion, we perhaps require determined focus lest they become an abstraction.
It is about more than numbers, but the numbers cannot be avoided.
11.11.11.11. The hour and day of remembrance which, this year, is graced with a formal symmetry. Like soldiers standing to attention perhaps?
1.7 million. The number of British Empire service personnel mortally wounded in World Wars 1 and 2 alone. If I were to commemorate 100 of them per day, every day, it would take over 46 years.
30 million. The number of Remembrance poppies made. Are you wearing yours?
44. A quarter of service veterans receiving help from the Royal British Legion are below this age, just like me. Conflict is a young person’s game.
Why observe Remembrance? To show humility to the past and hope for the future. Because even if we don’t serve, even if we’re not affected, we will stand in silence and with heads bowed realise:
They shall grow not old,
as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them,
nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun
and in the morning
We will remember them.
Go on! You know you want to tell me what you think!