The Marathon!

[Just-Jude]

Are you suffering from poppy fatigue? Why is everyone expected to go into mourning mode for a whole weekend? Does this time of the year bring out the worst in vandals, supermarkets and mobile phone users?

[Tilly2]

No, I am not. I have worn my poppy as a commemoration of all those who have sacrificed their lives for this country. That includes members of my family.

You are being deliberately controversial.......why?

[mikey4444]

No, I'm not...what a peculiar thing to post JJ ! Actually I find your comments offensive.

[Buenchico]

I absolutely detest the whole concept of 'remembrance' and want absolutely nothing to do with it. When you're dead, you're dead and you should be instantly forgotten about. Grieving is pure madness and totally selfish. It should be made a criminal offence.

[ChillDoubt]

I've not seen anyone in mourning mode.
I've seen lots who've paused for quiet reflection and sombre remembrance for up to 2 minutes, but nobody in mourning for a whole weekend.
I've met former comrades and we've shared a beer and reminisced, with no few laughs.
As ever, you appear to be posting for mischief as opposed to making a valid point, but the responses thus far on the thread already show that it's something ABers are used to.

[Peter Pedant]

Just Jude as a bit of ironic humour well done

No I dont think it is offensive,
The whole of the Irish nation have poppy fatigue - or poppy phobia perhaps and no one says they are po-faced kill joys - not after a few drinks anyway


Yeah.....

Good point

er and no I dont have poppy fatigue in fact
but hubba hubba baby I can imagine that some people do

[Prudie]

What a load of poppy cock, we've worn some poppies and had maybe two silences and some quiet thoughts, hardly taxing - and we've been free to disrespect it if that was our desire.

[Peter Pedant]

BC - I found my late fathers diaries very graphic for 1940 and went to Oudenaarde ( yeah where Marlborough won the battle ) to see where he had been captured by the Germans

and was warned I would find it very emotional.

I couldnt really expect that the Belgians thought like me
Even tho we were there to protect little Belgium - their sudden surrender led to the chaotic retreat to Dunkirk.

so I found remembrance somewhat renewing ...

The Belgians by the way are used to tear-stained anglo wandering over their land...

[marval]

I am not suffering from poppy fatigue. I wore my poppy with pride and kept the two minutes silence, to honour the dead. It is only one time a year.

[Georgiesmum]

I dont understand why anyone would complain of poppy fatigue. Its our chance to reflect and honour the dead. Thats the least we can do..

[Baldric]

I really have no comment to make that would not be removed very quickly!

[PankySmooch]

It's called Respect, not mourning mode

[sandyRoe]

You don't need to think of the donkeys who led the lions to slaughter in the trenches or the politicians who seemed to have rushed to war.
No one could be fatigued by thoughts of all those lives cut short. All the grief back home that resulted from it.

[ummmm]

Chris - you must recognise that you are in a tiny minority when it comes to grief.

Grief is not an optional emotion. It's completely out of our control. I don't wake up on my dads anniversary emotional because I chose to be emotional.

Jude is just trolling again....

[Caran]

I wore my poppy with pride.

[vulcan42]

I can remember without mourning, it isn't hard to do. Nobody is expected to go into a mourning mode, you do what suits you. Maybe the press and television go OTT but they do that on a lot of things and for a lot longer.

[andy-hughes]

Buenchicho - "I absolutely detest the whole concept of 'remembrance' and want absolutely nothing to do with it."

That seems a shame, given that the freedom to express that sentiment was provided by the people we are remembering, something of an irony I think.

"When you're dead, you're dead and you should be instantly forgotten about."

But the majority of humanity would disagree with you. It may be defence mechanism on your part, but I wonder if you have lost someone close to you?

Did you instantly forget about them?

"Grieving is pure madness and totally selfish. It should be made a criminal offence."

No, it's part of the human condition.

It allows people to process their loss and assimilate it into their lives, and carry on living.

It could only be selfish if it was a conscious decision, which could be abandoned at the choice of the griever.

But it's not, it's an involuntary process which needs to be experienced in order to deal with the death of a loved one.

Either you have posted this to be deliberately provocative, and potentially hurtful, or you are in deep denial of the way your mind works, or you have yet to lose anyone close to you - care to advise which of these it is?

[Cobwebs06]

Please consider Buenchico that had these people not laid down their lives during the two world wars, you may very well not have been able to make your, frankly, offensive comments.

[ummmm]

Chris has said he's high functioning autistic. That could be why.

[Buenchico]

I have the luxury, Andy, of high-functioning autism, which means that I can see through the pointlessness and stupidity of ALL emotions (which I have only a VERY limited range of).

That's why I believe in using genetic engineering to ensure that all children are born with no capability to experience emotions, resulting in a world which is both functional and efficient. (i.e. my Utopia is a world with no love, no caring, no compassion, no joy, no grief or any other emotion - simply robotic efficiency).