The start of summer. A time for big sales and cookouts with beers and burgers and hot dogs. If you’re a little more into traditional fashion rules, it’s the official day that you can start wearing white. But this day means so much more than this stuff, which if you really think about it, this stuff is absolute bullshit by comparison.
Some educational stuff first. We have quite a few patriotic holidays in the US, but there are three in particular that are dedicated to members of the armed services. These are Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, and Armed Forces Day. I’d hazard a guess that many Americans don’t know the (big) difference between these holidays, and see them mostly as a day off work or an excuse to hang out. But I’d like to explain the differences.
Armed Forces Day is dedicated to those who currently serve in the military. Veteran’s Day is dedicated to all those who have served in the military but are no longer actively serving. Memorial Day is reserved for those service members who paid the ultimate price and gave their lives in service of the country. Important distinctions, and all service members deserve our respect and more importantly, our thanks.
When I was a kid, my grandmother and mother always had these little red flowers attached to the antenna or rear-view mirror of their cars, and they would replace them every year on Memorial Day. When I was old enough, they would give me a couple of dollars and let me go up to the gentleman in uniform selling them to buy the flowers that they would put on the car after taking the faded, tattered ones down. That man, a different man each time, would always smile so big at me, and ask my name, and be so very nice. At the time, I didn’t understand the significance of what I was buying, why, or the person selling them to me.
The flowers were red poppies, worn traditionally since WWI to honor those who have served and died for this country. The person selling them was a veteran, in full dress uniform, doing his part to serve, raise money for, and allow other Americans to show support for his fellow soldiers, both here and gone. Allowing me to buy these flowers taught me a completely different level of respect for our military service men and women. As I got older, so did the person I was buying flowers from, which made me a little sad as a kid. And even sadder is the fact that I don’t see this happening anymore. It breaks my heart.
Memorial Day now, for the most part, is about a three-day weekend, a chance to hang out with friends when we would normally be working, an excuse to drink or go to the beach, and a reason for any number of companies to proclaim huge sales that are actually just a markdown of previously inflated pricing so they line their pockets. We have collectively forgotten what this holiday is all about, the massive sacrifices made, and the fact that we wouldn’t have this holiday or a host of other things if it weren’t for the men and women we should be honoring.
So, this Memorial Day, before you take a bite of that burger or go running to that big sale, take a moment to stop and think about all the people who have given their lives for the idea that you should have the freedom to do that in the first place. Honor them. Thank them. It’s the least you can do.
A Peculiar Cerebral Tangle 