“Every Day Should Be Memorial Day”

By: Corey Thompson, “The Thirsty Quill”

The following article was originally published on Memorial Day 2009…

Last week I had a teachable moment in my classroom that stood head and shoulders above all the rest. A “teachable moment,” by definition, is an opportunity to teach or impart some level of wisdom outside of the standard curriculum, prescribed text, or traditional course of study. Most educators agree that these brief moments are far more important than anything we can teach in preparation for a standardized test, as they typically have the potential to leave a lasting impact that will be remembered much longer than traditional “dates and facts.”

After giving a quick review for an upcoming test, a student commented to another about how “unfair” it was that “we have to come to school on Memorial Day this year.” Due to several “inclement weather” days back in January and February, the Memorial Day holiday was removed from the “days off” list in order to accommodate the state’s requirement for a 180-day school year.

Overhearing the conversation, I smiled and quietly walked back to my desk, listening intently to their banter and their bickering about how Memorial Day was such a “big deal” to them personally. I thought it appropriate, at that moment, to give way to my nosy curiosity and inquire about the significance about Memorial Day in their personal lives.

“What do you normally do to celebrate Memorial Day?” I asked.

One of the students, a senior, responded rather quickly, “I usually sleep in, head to the pool for a couple of hours, and then go hang out at the mall with my friends.”

“That’s nice,” I replied.

“I usually just hang out around my house and play video games,” answered the other.

I decided to take my shot. “Hey, do you guys know why we celebrate Memorial Day?” I asked in a serious, but non-condescending, tone.

Their answers deflated me.

One stated that he “really didn’t know,” while the other said something along the lines of “to pay tribute to our grandparents and deceased ancestors.”

Enter the “teachable moment.”

I spent the final few minutes before the bell explaining the significance of Memorial Day to a group of teenagers who seemed very eager to learn more about their stolen “day off.”

They asked questions, and I had the distinct pleasure of answering them. As I spoke, a few seemed to remember having been taught the meaning of Memorial Day by their parents or teachers at some point in the past, but admitted that over time, the significance had eroded away into nothing more than a day for sleeping in, barbeques, and lazy afternoons by the pool. I wonder how many adults would admit the same?

I’m no fool (despite what some of you may believe). I don’t expect the average American teenager to devote his or her entire Memorial Day to attending military dress parades and reenactments of Revolutionary War battles that they care little about. To be honest, I don’t necessarily expect most adults to do so either.

However, I do expect all of us, young and old alike, to at least understand the significance of the day, and to pause (even briefly), and reflect upon what this day represents. In spite of the opportunity to sleep in, indulge in a cold beer and a few hotdogs, and to let the sun cook our winterized skin to its first shades of pink for the season, let us never forget what it’s truly all about.

In America, we’ve done a damn good job in minimizing important things to little more than annual one-day vigils. We’ve allowed the term “holiday” to excuse us from paying honor and tribute (where they are due) the other 364 days a year, and we feel as though we’ve done “the right thing” when we salute a flag or thank a veteran on a lone Monday in late-May.

We actually believe that doing so once in May, a second time in July, and perhaps even a third time in November, affords us the opportunity to feel “patriotic.” Truth be told, those days should serve as mile-markers along the way, not just red, white, and blue exits lining the roadside of our lives.

My students taught me something last week. You see, the “teachable moment” wasn’t necessarily just for them. I discovered that I had allowed these students to sit under my guidance for a full year, and that I had merely assumed that they, as seniors, were about to enter “the real world” with a full grasp and appreciation of what days like today truly represent. I assumed that they had been taught, either at home or in a previous classroom, that Memorial Day was about a whole heck of a lot more than burgers, beer, and sunburns.

They had no idea…and neither did I.

I didn’t realize that my teaching, with all of the complexities of lesson plans, lectures, and tests, had left out some of the most basic of American principles that cannot be overlooked…and must be celebrated and cherished all year long.

Just as we owe our veterans the full measure of our gratitude, we also owe each generation that walks behind us the knowledge and understanding of the significance of days like today. Not doing so would be just as irresponsible as forgetting the brave souls who keep us safe, even on the days and nights that we so often forget to say “thanks.”