Today is Rememberance Day here in Canada. In the U.S., it is Veteran's Day. The day serves to remind us and give us a chance to thank those who served in foreign wars for their service in the defence of our freedoms and of our values. It is a little disappointing not to see at least one FP or Rec list diary acknowledging the sacrifice so many made defending us from tyranny and oppression.
I meant an American fellow at work last night. He had just arrived from Pennsylvania and was in town for a business meeting. As we stood chatting about the Steelers win over Denver on MNF, I reminded him that November 11 was a national holiday in Canada. The reason I brought it up was to make him aware that parking in the downtown area would be sketchy for a few hours from mid morning to early afternoon as the Rememberance Day ceremonies were held at the local Cenotaph.
He looked at me kind of funny for a few moments, and then said, "You know, I feel like a real ass not to have known about this holiday. The least I could have did before leaving home was do a little research on Canada." I told him it was fine, that he couldn't be expected to know about the holiday. He strongly disagreed. He knew about Veteran's Day in the States, and therefore, in his own mind, he should have DAMNED well known about Rememberance Day in Canada. He got quite passionate actually.
As he was taking his leave, he noticed the poppy I was wearing on my left collar. He asked about the significance of it. I told him it was symbolic of the poppies that grow in Flander's field in Belgium and I told him of the famous poem "In Flander's Fields", written in 1915 during World War I by Canadian Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, an army surgeon serving at Ypres, the site of one of the bloodiest battles in modern warfare.
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/...
The American paused then asked me if I had a spare poppy. I just happened to have one on my overcoat so I gave it to him. He took it graciously, placed it on his left lapel, and without another word, he turned and walked away.