A moment in time

As I'm sure you are all aware yesterday was Armistice Day.

Now I have already deleted some personal thoughts about this day which I have decided not to share. However I will share a poignant and possibly typically English moment which happened at work yesterday.

Yesterday I was having a work related conversation with a colleague, mid sentence the alarm bell sounded marking 11 o'clock and the start of the 2mins silence. Mid sentence we looked at each other, both turned to one side and hushed. The whole building went quiet - no phone rang, not a whisper from a person - the only sound the eerie noise of the air-conditioning. During this time I shed a couple of tears for reasons personal to me. It felt strange, although I didn't know the guy I was talking to (he was new to the company) I didn't feel embarrassed and I didn't feel awkward.

After the two minutes the alarm bell sounded again. We turned to each other, I dried my eyes and felt the need to briefly apologize. This guy just said "oh it's ok" and it was that moment I saw he also had a glint of tear in his eyes too. It's strange how this moment in time every year has us all stop and remember, and in my case also give hope for the safety of all of our (and I mean your guys too) armed forces personnel.

As if nothing had then happened we bizarrely continued our previous conversation where we had left off! How typically English! Not that I particularly wanted to talk about anything else and I'm sure he didn't either. Afterall this moment was a personnal one for both of us. But it was, well odd to just look, apologize and then say .. "Now where were we.. oh yes"... Funny. Although not ha ha funny... if you see what I mean.

On another entirely different note I'd just like to tell you about this little class I've been attending this last month... Body Pump! The Tuesday's I've been home in October (not many!) and this month I've been going to this class on a Tuesday evening. It's great. A full body work out, low weights and high reps. I'm sure we hit every muscle group - my arms often feel like they're going to fall off by the end (I am weedy!). I think this is an ideal way of getting much needed strength training in, the instructor is fab and the music is ace. They do several others during the week so I may try and see if I can squeeze in two sessions a week during the winter!

I also had a mad moment the other day and entered not just one but two half marathons for early next year! Yikes! Wokingham (early Feb) and Reading (late March) half mary's await!