Phoebefromfriends Mon 19-Jun-17 19:45:27
Unfortunately our office forgot so it wasn't observed. During the last one I announced loudly that we were observing it and according to my manager no-one moved for at least three minutes because I was so forthright. In the end I had to tell them it had ended, despite there being a clock in the office. I do think it's up to individuals whether they observe it but those that don't should be quiet.
Missed this little gem. It's such an indictment of the mindless entitlement of some people that they feel empowered to enforce certain behaviours from others. Sounds like a failed power-trip to me and perhaps a wannabe-dictator in the making? That post made me cringe with embarrassment for the poster.
<strong>Phoebe</strong>, if you'd done that in our office, you would be laughed out of it and roundly educated on the reasons why you were not, in fact, in charge.
I've been giving this more thought and I'm wondering where it's going to end. Our children will see this as 'normal' and I can quite envisage a scenario whereby the 'moments of silence' get so far out of hand that people truly will get to the stage where they won't know what or why they're standing for whatever prescribed minutes are handed down. It will become totally normal to follow the media to determine whether 'minutes of silence' are required - and for which 'thing' and for how long?
That would be abhorrent to me. I think it would actually make a mockery of any semblance of 'paying respects'. It's nothing like paying respects and you would grossly insult the family and loved ones if you attempted to portray anything like this with a 'public display' of mock-grief.
I think that far from being respectful, you are diluting and taking away the meaningfulness of the Remembrance silence. It's completely disrespectful, doing an enormous disservice to the fallen men and women who defended our country... and that's not ok with me.
Here's the difference though; the people who feel as I do that this is not something to engage in will not be huffing and puffing at those who do want to participate. We'll be quietly getting on with our day, not intruding, not being loud or trying to draw attention to ourselves because we recognise that for you, it's important to be part of the group and show publicly how 'caring' you are for those long sixty seconds.
Other than having an inner WTF? thought, you won't register on my radar. I'd appreciate the same courtesy.