Take two minutes

By Theresa Trant

Several years ago my son came home from school and told me about the Remembrance Day ceremony they had at school. He mentioned a video that was played; he liked it because it was about taking a moment in your day to remember those who fought for our freedom.

I combed through YouTube that night trying to find this video. Finally, after about an hour I found it! It’s called A Pittance of Time. The song was written by Terry Kelly in 1999 and is based on a personal experience.

On Nov. 11, 1999 he was in a drugstore when an announcement was made over the PA system asking customers to take two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. in remembrance of veterans.

At 11 all the customers, with the exception of one man, stopped and reflected in silence to show their respect. This particular man did not participate and, in fact, tried to engage a store clerk in a conversation during the two minutes of silence.

Mr. Kelly became quite angry when he observed this behaviour. It is out of his anger that he wrote one of the most memorable Remembrance Day songs I have ever heard. In Mr. Kelly’s words,

Take two minutes, would you mind?
It’s a pittance of time,
For the boys and the girls who go over.
In peacetime our best still don battle dress
And lay their lives on the line.
It’s a pittance of time.

It’s been nine years now since my son came home and told me about this video. I play it every year as I take a moment and remember those who sacrificed so much for us. It still stirs the emotion in me today as it did nine years ago.

On Nov. 11, take a moment and remember: