PRACTICING FOR ARMISTICE DAY

When we were kids, my father often yelled at us to be quiet(er).  There were (and are) five of us, so we made a lot of noise.  My dad, being retired military (WWII vet), knew and practiced the fine art of War Games on us, and he did so with a absolute precision, a short temper, and a heavy hand.  When he told us to shut up, he meant immediate business or immediate retribution.

One of his favorite lines to us when we got exceptionally unruly was to "practice for Armistice Day."

Armistice Day was the precursor to Remembrance Day, which eventually morphed into Veterans' Day.  The Armistice marked the end of the fighting in World War I, an agreement that happened on November 11 at 11 o'clock in the morning.  To commemorate that moment in history, 11:00 a.m. was (and still is) considered the exact time that two minutes of silence would commence.

Perhaps my veteran father was trying to teach us about history, or perhaps he really did believe that children should be neither seen nor heard.  Armistice Day children.  Children who know the importance of practicing for a silent holiday no matter what day of the calendar year it may be.

To all the veterans out there, to all retired and reserve and active service men and women, thank you for your service.  Know that I will speak up on your behalf any and every other day and minute, but for two minutes today I will show off the mastery level I have finally achieved of being told to practice for Armistice Day.