As it does every Nov. 11 at 11 a.m., Britain just observed the two-minute silence that commemorates the Armistice that ended World War I. I was almost sad to be at home and “naturally” quiet rather than conducting a conversation, because while the silence is an opportunity to inwardly reflect rather than to publicly signal one’s feelings about war and man’s inhumanity to man, it feels more powerful to be part of a sudden hush.
I once happened to be in Israel on Yom HaShoah, the Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Day, when a siren sounds and everything stops for two minutes. It’s not simply a silence, but a cessation of all activity. Where I was at least, drivers stopped their cars, businesses paused all activity, and everyone stood and contemplated history. It was disruptive in all the right ways–a reminder of the importance of the event.