I took a political science class on global awareness and politics when completing my requirements to be a secondary school teacher that I will never forget.

The students in the class were placed into country groups and we were each given a map as to what our world looked like. We were told where the precious natural resources were on this world and what type of countries we came from and were told that we needed to figure out how to deal with the other countries in the room and how to live on this planet. We were given ground rules as to how were were allowed to make formal arrangements with each other. There could only be one person from each country group that was the ‘ambassador’ and ‘officially’ do the talking between the countries. We were also told that our grades for the assignment would be based on who was the most powerful country at the end of the scenario and the country that was ‘least powerful’ would have failing grades.

There were some in the class that played the scenario like troopers. They tried to maneuver into places that did not belong to them to ‘take’ precious resources instead of negotiating. Others tried to talk to each other and make agreements. Some in the class that were ‘citizens’ sat through the scenario and wondered what they were supposed to be doing and others wondered out loud the  fairness of failing a whole group of people in the class if they did not successfully have enough money and resources at the end of the scenario.

This exercise went on for a week. For myself I sent letters to each country pointing out that between the resources and the population there was more than enough on the world we were given to all get along if we didn’t hold to the idea that more stuff was better. I also questioned the reasoning as to why only one person from each group was allowed to do the speaking. Surely, all voices were important.

At the end of the scenario we, as a class, did not come to a conclusion. We were as convoluted as when we started. We were told, however, that there was one class in the history of these scenarios that came together somehow and decided that it was not fair to have a whole part of their class fail and they managed to ‘beat the system’ by coming together outside of class time and presenting a document to the creator professor that not one of them felt that they should be better than the other based on a simulation and that they would not play an all or nothing scenario with their grades.

I have never understood the all or nothing scenario. Yet, I do understand the heart felt desire to learn and grow through service. Our service people both past and present are just that … service people. Some of them are placed into horrendous situations and asked to make the most horrific decisions in the line of service. Some are asked to leave their home, their families all for service of all of the homes and families of the country that they are serving. Service people do wonderful things. They set up hospitals, make sure there is food and water relief for those who need it, help with infrastructure, and I recently saw a clip of service people rescuing civilians stuck in a mountain region because of militant violence forcing them from their homes.

For me the purpose of today is to remember the reason President Wilson declared this day Armistice Day in the first place. It was the declaration of putting down weapons after the blood shed of World War I. It was to honor ALL the people that had perished all over the world in that conflict and all conflicts. It is a time to remember that the only thing really separating us as a human population is lines drawn on a map and decisions made by the few. It is a time to remember that some sacrificed and still sacrifice everything they have in this life at this time to help out others. It is a time to remember that the personal stories of each and every one of those people are something we all can learn from. I have heard several the past few days. There is one by Dr. Wayne Dyer’s brother David that was particularly touching. His words can be found https://www.facebook.com/drwaynedyer?fref=ts (look for the post from November 10, 2014). This day reminds us that service, how the world leaders take care of issues, how we treat each other, how justice is handled is all a human and an individual experience. It is for those individuals that served and serve today in the name of country, for what they teach each and every one of us, it is their stories that is in the place of honor today.

The above photo is that of my dad, who served this country in the navy on an air craft carrier.
Armistice Day 11/11