Lest We Forget

Yes, this is off topic, and it should be erased tomorrow. But, today is November 11th. It's Remembrance Day. The day we honour those who fought and died for our respective countries. I wrote a blog post about it today and it makes me think.

See, I always honour Remembrance Day. My father has been dead now for over 20 years, but it's the one day I always remember him. He was just a young lieutenant - scared and green - on the USS Hornet, and bombed by Zeros from the same country where I now live. I know in my heart that Dad would approve of my choice, for he never held a grudge against the Japanese people. He even came here to visit twice in the 70s.

So ... how does Remembrance Day fit in with the purpose of this Main Discussion board? When I lived in Canada, there was nothing that brought out my contempt for stores more than their total dismissal of Remembrance Day, as they rushed to get their Christmas decorations in the window display - as it was a holiday that made them money. You could do the same - forego Remembrance Day in favour of making money.

I choose not to. No marketing messages will go out today. No promotions. The Product Creation Labs will honour this day with silence. Why? Well, there's the human aspect of it - the brave, scared, homesick soldiers who died in far away lands deserve our respect.

There's also a second aspect. It is the one that ties into this board. As a business person, are you going to choose integrity or a fast buck? And this doesn't just involve a respectful adherence to Remembrance Day, but to everything you do with your business. Wouldn't today be a good day to take a few moments of silence and reflect on these things?