I paused for two minutes of contemplative silence at 11:00am this morning, because remembering the sacrifice that so many made to cement the world we have today is important to me. Earlier this year I wandered around the allied war cemetery at Reichswald in Germany; this morning I thought about the Baldwins and the thousands of others buried within its boundaries.
On Remembrance Day I often find myself wondering how on earth I would have coped with being a soldier, getting shot at and fearing for my life. Occasionally I have this romantic kind of notion that I’d have been mentally strong and courageous under fire, but more often I just think that I’d have been a crap soldier and scared to death.
It’s a God send that I have never been tested in such dangerous circumstances, because if I was overwhelmed by it all, I am not sure what it would do to my sense of self. Now that I am getting on a bit (and in the demographic for “Dad’s Army”), the likelihood of ever finding out if I’d be a man or mouse under enemy fire, is slimmer than my waistline (which is not as slim as it used to be, so maybe that’s not quite the right choice of analogy).
The lack of reference points for war brings me on to some other stuff that I have had no exposure to either – mercifully.
Last night’s TV viewing is the source of the next elements of introspection.
First up, “Cutting Edge - Secret Life of Prisons” aired on Channel 4. In this documentary, featuring much content extracted from smuggled in/out mobile phones, viewers were presented with scenes of mindless violence, drug abuse, illness, repeat offence, despair and death. It was a difficult film to watch. For me, I might as well have been following a wildlife documentary about crocodiles, so little could I identify with the convicts…
…they might as well have been reptiles. I have no idea how I’d cope with being banged up with the predatory, sociopathic, moronic creatures. The prospect of armed conflict would be more appealing.
Moving on to “DIY SOS The Big Build”, shown on BBC1. I am a fan of this show, I have written about it before and believe that there is no better way the BBC spends my licence fee.
Nick Knowles and his crew were behind the removal of a gold-medal-winning, Chelsea Flower Show garden and its subsequent installation on the roof of London’s Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital. During the build, viewers got to meet a number of the children being cared for and their families.
Whilst I have done my fair share of gardening, I haven’t had to cope with either of my children needing the kinds of terminal illness, or chronic conditions, care that Great Ormond Street is renowned for. And like coping under fire, I have no idea how I’d handle the relentless pressure of my children being critically ill/dying. The consensus amongst the affected parents seemed to be “you get on with it because you have no choice” and “you get used to it”. I suspect soldiers have similar outlooks.
But whilst the The Big Build was engaging, upsetting and inspiring all at the same time, the overall sense was of positivity in the face of real adversity, which certainly couldn’t be said for the Secret Life of Prisons.
In a day of remembrance, I am also reminded to think how lucky I am, and to be relieved that life’s twists and turns have not ended up in certain places that I don’t know if I am equipped to manage.
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On Remembrance Day I often find myself wondering how on earth I would have coped with being a soldier, getting shot at and fearing for my life. Occasionally I have this romantic kind of notion that I’d have been mentally strong and courageous under fire, but more often I just think that I’d have been a crap soldier and scared to death.
It’s a God send that I have never been tested in such dangerous circumstances, because if I was overwhelmed by it all, I am not sure what it would do to my sense of self. Now that I am getting on a bit (and in the demographic for “Dad’s Army”), the likelihood of ever finding out if I’d be a man or mouse under enemy fire, is slimmer than my waistline (which is not as slim as it used to be, so maybe that’s not quite the right choice of analogy).
The lack of reference points for war brings me on to some other stuff that I have had no exposure to either – mercifully.
Last night’s TV viewing is the source of the next elements of introspection.
First up, “Cutting Edge - Secret Life of Prisons” aired on Channel 4. In this documentary, featuring much content extracted from smuggled in/out mobile phones, viewers were presented with scenes of mindless violence, drug abuse, illness, repeat offence, despair and death. It was a difficult film to watch. For me, I might as well have been following a wildlife documentary about crocodiles, so little could I identify with the convicts…
…they might as well have been reptiles. I have no idea how I’d cope with being banged up with the predatory, sociopathic, moronic creatures. The prospect of armed conflict would be more appealing.
Moving on to “DIY SOS The Big Build”, shown on BBC1. I am a fan of this show, I have written about it before and believe that there is no better way the BBC spends my licence fee.
Nick Knowles and his crew were behind the removal of a gold-medal-winning, Chelsea Flower Show garden and its subsequent installation on the roof of London’s Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital. During the build, viewers got to meet a number of the children being cared for and their families.
Whilst I have done my fair share of gardening, I haven’t had to cope with either of my children needing the kinds of terminal illness, or chronic conditions, care that Great Ormond Street is renowned for. And like coping under fire, I have no idea how I’d handle the relentless pressure of my children being critically ill/dying. The consensus amongst the affected parents seemed to be “you get on with it because you have no choice” and “you get used to it”. I suspect soldiers have similar outlooks.
But whilst the The Big Build was engaging, upsetting and inspiring all at the same time, the overall sense was of positivity in the face of real adversity, which certainly couldn’t be said for the Secret Life of Prisons.
In a day of remembrance, I am also reminded to think how lucky I am, and to be relieved that life’s twists and turns have not ended up in certain places that I don’t know if I am equipped to manage.
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