So, yes, Remembrance Day’s silence is a bit of a national performance art piece. It’s awkward, it’s imperfect, and it’s often accompanied by rogue “Baby Shark” ringtones.
But that’s what makes it so real. It’s not a sterile, marble monument. It’s a living, breathing, slightly fidgety group of people, standing together in the cold, trying to be better.
Next time you’re standing in that silence, don’t stress about the perfect thought. Just feel the quiet. Let your brain wander. Forgive yourself for the stomach gurgle. And when it’s over, give that awkward nod to the person next to you.
Because how long is the silence? It’s exactly as long as it takes for a whole nation to remember that some things are worth stopping our busy, silly lives for. Even if we are holding a half-eaten biscuit.
