Veterans Day

[leebenoit]

Sitting in my sunny studio with a blessed day off, I'm reminded of the reason. The US honors its Veterans today. I am not a fan of the military as an institution, nor of its current campaigns, and I repudiate Don't Ask Don't Tell.  But every day I stand before classrooms where several of my students are currently serving, or recent vets, or

Comments

[sydmcginley]

Beautiful, Lee!

[leebenoit]

Thanks, hon!

[marasmine]

I'm sure the classes give them something to think about that is more pleasant.

It is(was) Armistice Day here in the UK and the ceremonial poppies were worn and the wreaths laid at war memorials around the country. I'm not sure how widely the two minutes silence is observed now, but when I was a child the whole country seemed to come to a halt at the eleventh hour of th eleventh day of the eleventh month. I think our last WWI veteran passed away recently, unfortunately we have too many more from the years since then to take their places.

[leebenoit]

The history of WWI is less immediate here in the US, so far from where the fighting happened. Makes remembering more...remote, I think.

I still remember my grandparents replacing their poppies every year -- they would wind them around the rearview mirror in their car. (Along with a Palm Sunday frond and Mao's Little Red Book, the perennial contents of my grandparents' car were a study in contrasts...)

[chrystlfox]

Thank you, Lee, you stated it quite eloquently!

I will only add that I respect and thank you for making, or at least trying to make, your classes a safe haven for our solders and veterans!

[leebenoit]

I hope I manage to do that for all my students. It was back when I was teaching at another school that I found out halfway through the semester that one of my students had served in Iraq but hadn't mentioned it that I realized this might be a way I could help. He felt his experiences on the ground distanced him from his fellow students and would make it difficult for him to fit in. I introduced him to another student, a truck mechanic in the National Guard (who was also one of the girliest girls I've ever met) and they hit it off. I think just knowing there was someone else who shared similar experience made a big difference. I hope they're both well.