It used to make me really upset that Remembrance Day was not a nation-wide statutory holiday.
I thought it was such an insult, a bold slap to the face for every man or woman, young boy or girl who enlisted during the conflict, who endured years of hardship, separation from their families, unspeakable terrors and life-long haunting memories, all in the name of freedom for our country.
Can you imagine loving your country that much? Having that much pride that you'd risk your own life for it?
I can say right now: I couldn't do it.
That's why I have so much respect and admiration for those who can do it; who did do it.
So when I was living in Ottawa last year, finishing up my journalism degree, I was livid when I found out that I'd have to miss the Remembrance Day ceremony at the National War Memorial, which I attended almost every year growing up, to go to school and work on an assignment.
"Pardon me?" I said to my professor. "I'm not going. I have a more important event to attend."
"You have to," he replied. "It's an in-class assignment."
I almost cried. I felt sick with guilt over the fact that I'd be in my sweats and hoodie sitting in class instead of solemn and proud, standing next to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
If I'm this angry, surely the veterans must think it's an outrage too.
Ontario, along with Nova Scotia, Quebec and Manitoba, does not recognize Remembrance Day as a statutory holiday; a statutory holiday meaning you get paid time off work for that day and there's no school.
The rest of the provinces and territories do recognize it as a stat. holiday.
So off I went, to the war ceremony that was being held at my college the day before Remembrance Day, to interview some troops about this perceived conundrum.
I was surprised by their response.
"No, it shouldn't be," one veteran said, when I asked him if he thought Remembrance Day should be a nationally legislated public holiday, like Christmas Day and Good Friday.
"It'll just give people a day off to lounge around watching TV or hanging out with friends drinking. They won't spend any time thinking of us or the war, or honouring our troops," he explained.
Another vet chimed in.
"Yeah, an entire day is too long. People won't use it to remember the wars."
They, and a bunch of others, all agreed that making Remembrance Day a nation-wide statutory holiday would, sadly, end up as desecration to the veterans because it'd soften the significance of the memorial day.
"Having a two-minute moment of silence and local ceremonies is much more touching; more significant. You can feel its impact," another veteran spoke up.
I understood, completely, what they were saying.
As much as I hate to think of it, there are people out there who'd spend the day at Tim Hortons with their girlfriends chatting about the latest Keeping Up With The Kardashians episode than thinking of how they got that freedom in the first place.
It's true; an ignorant, unsightly blemish on humanity and we haven't found the ointment for it.
There are many ways we as people, and our government, fall short in honouring our veterans. Too many to list, really, and it's so embarrassing and God-awful that it's not even worth putting in my editorial, now or ever.
So please, please, take time on Nov. 11 to think of our veterans, stitched with valour, courage, humility and compassion, only the finest material is used on them, the cashmere of our nation. The fallen and those that are still with us, those who have passed on, the troops, their families and friends and everyone who was ever impacted by war, you must acknowledge their sacrifice and the anguishing perils they went through.
It's something most of us reading this editorial will never comprehend; can't even begin to understand.
And how could we?
Well because of these veterans, we won't have to.
Lest We Forget.
CM
