The act of remembrance takes place on the second Sunday in November and it commemorates the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war. It was a tradition inaugurated by George V on the 17th November 1919 when he proclaimed “that at the hour when the Armistice came into force, the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, there may be for the brief space of two minutes a complete suspension of all our normal activities … so that in perfect stillness, the thoughts of everyone may be concentrated on reverent remembrance of the glorious dead”(Rose, 1983).
It is a historical narrative which collectively bestows a shared national identity and with this assumed memories of loss and grief. Society is positioned within assumed memories of grief and loss. The culture of identifying with a national identity of grief and loss also connects society to the armed forces through the ideology of protecting the nation for King and country. Furthermore the act of remembrance bridges the gap between past and present and reinforces what we, as a society are now and what we have now. Remembrance is entwined with this ideology and is a performance of a presumed position. This in turn enables a culturally acceptable permission for war veterans to grieve. So as war veterans we are given permission to behave in a certain way which is endlessly repeated in villages, towns and cities across our land.
It seems to me that this traditional narrative, whilst historically entrenched in our own social history, has created an acceptable space for me to grieve as well. I have always found ways to represent my grief beyond this acceptable space. Alone I perform an anniversary waltz to a backdrop of lyrical embodiment from the song Paranoid Eyes from the album The Final Cut by Pink Floyd. I brought this album on my return from the Falklands. It is taken from its medal ribbon covered sleeve; to be dusted down and listened to before I put on my uniform of Remembrance Sunday. I wear my uniform, of blazer, black shiny shoes