Memorial Day ponderings

Memorial Day ponderings~

I admit it – I have been just as guilty as those I propose to speak about today. I have fallen away from attending Memorial Day services in recent years. I have no excuses as to why so there’s no reason to make any. But this morning I headed down to Little Silver’s service, held at 9:00 a.m. as it has been for many, many years – the main difference is that it’s now held in a memorial park down the street from the Borough Hall – a place where not only fallen soldiers are honored, but local victims of 9/11 are remembered as well.

I walked part of the way through the ball fields and local grammar school property and on my way to the service observed all the baseball games gearing up – kids practicing, parents arriving with their chairs and blankets – just like any weekend day in the spring; and immediately I started thinking – why are these games happening when the Memorial Day service is about to start? Is that what happens now? Any and all activities are scheduled at any and all times?  There is no rule or recommendation, not even on Memorial Day, to perhaps be respectful of a service that is taking place in the same town at the same time?

Okay – get off your soap box and just get to the service. As I arrived there were lots of attendees – families, kids, small ones in strollers, dogs on leashes, a parade just finishing up with old cars, girl and boy scouts, fire and police personnel, the town council and mayor. Although I was only about a half mile from the ball fields, it felt like an entirely different town – another place.

Even though I grew up in this town, raised my children in this town, I hardly recognized anyone. Who are all these people? Am I really now one of the “old guard” of this town? I found a spot in the shade by a small, newly growing tree. And then, an old friend found me, which was nice, as I was feeling a bit like a fish out of water. Thank you Frank and MaryLee – it was so good to see you both.

The ceremony didn't disappoint – all the familiar stuff. The school band playing their best and trying not to melt in the hot sunshine. The young 5th through 8th graders read their winning essays. The mayor delivering some welcoming remarks and even the sound system not always behaving (will they ever get that fixed?). And there were some new parts to the service (at least new to me) – a dance team from a local dance studio performing a very moving depiction of soldiers on the battlefield and the sounds of helicopters overhead.  And finally, the three volleys by the police department at the end, followed by Taps played by the Red Bank Regional High School buglers – very well done.

As I walked back to my car, across those ball fields with the games in full swing, I wondered about all those children.  Do they know anything about Memorial Day and why it’s a holiday?  Is it not our duty to at least educate our children and teach them this country’s history and why we celebrate the day? As parents, shouldn't we set the example? Shouldn't the local recreation department set an example and not schedule games to begin until after 10:00 a.m. on Memorial Day? It seems like such a simple fix, but in this day and age of everyone doing whatever they feel like doing, I guess it’s not that simple.

But it makes me a little sad. Times are not simple any more. There are many choices for how we choose to spend our time on any given day. And every day is just another day to a lot of people. Even the mayor commented that he, himself, feels a bit disconnected from those who served and gave the ultimate sacrifice as he was too young to serve in Vietnam and too old to serve in later conflicts. He pondered that there are a lot of people in that same situation and worried that as a nation we could get too complacent and forget all that was sacrificed (and is sacrificed) in the name of freedom.

I’m glad I chose to get back to what I should have been doing all along. And although I’ll probably admonish myself for years to come for not doing it sooner, I will continue to remember and honor those who served and died; as well as those who continue to serve. They may not be currently serving in a war zone; however, they all put in long hours and are often away from their families for extended periods of time. Thank you for all that you do!

Happy Memorial Day!