When is it ok to tear up at work?

As the title to this post suggests: it is sometimes justified to tear up while at work. On my second day working as a communications intern for The Memory Project I experienced such an occasion.

My job requires me to be knowledgeable of the Second World War and to help coordinate events, speak with veterans, write press releases, and keep the public aware of the the project's successes and upcoming activities - among other things. The Memory Project (Stories of the Second World War) itself is an oral history project that documents interviews from Second World War veterans and shares their experiences, artifacts, and war-time memorabilia. It is a fantastic project and will act as a significant contributor to years of Canadian history study.

For the first two days of work I was asked to look through the website and get to know the types of people I would be talking too. The Memory Project created an online digital archive of interview clips and photographs. I listened to dozens of stories, and after a few hours, I have to say that I learned a lot. We all know how terrifying the Second World War was. We have all learned about it; read about it in textbooks; and probably did at least 3 projects during secondary school regarding some aspect of the war. But to listen to the actual events is something different. To hear the voices of these veterans -the people who risked their lives for Canada -is just heartbreaking. You hear about all the successes, the jokes, the camaraderie. All of this offsets the stories of horror: witnessing your friends die around you, hearing cries from young boys (whether they were friendly or 'the enemy'), and one guy even described the famous battle of D-Day on Juno beach as being a sea of ketchup -red from the blood of his men.

All of those stories, whether they are about the good days or the worst, are extremely important. It is why we should never forget the Second World War. It is why it is taught throughout elementary school and high school. These stories are everything. Whether the servicemen were Jewish, British, Asian, French, or even native American; it didn't matter. They all served and survived. It is because of this that those who died did not do so in vain. Their stories are shared in the experiences and stories of these veterans.

I am not ashamed to say that the interviews touched me. I am not ashamed to say that I teared up in the middle of my first and second day of work (yes, both times). The stories are real and sad. I love the fact that I can help this project and get these stories out there for the world to hear. I think everyone should check out this website, not only for their personal knowledge, but because we owe it to the men who died, as well as to those who survived.

Downtown

Today I got to work half an hour early -I guess the nerves kept me rushing this morning -but because of this, I got the opportunity to walk around downtown Toronto. As someone who lives in North York (or 'no mans land' as my friends and I labelled it in high school), downtown is quite foreign to me. I turned corners, walked up and down small streets, and found myself humming the song "downtown" in my head as I went. Of course, then I realized I had only 10 minutes to return to my office building, but that isn't the point of this little story.

What I realized is that Toronto is made of numerous diverse neighbourhoods. North York is very family oriented: there are dogs, elementary schools, and a giant Sears Outlet! Than you move farther South and you have Malls, High schools, Subway systems. Than you have Downtown -a mixture of small boutiques, the St. Lawrence market, and flashing lights. However, there are also businessmen and women running around with briefcases, girls in high heels and unbelievably short dresses, the common-day athlete jogging around a corner, and the slightly dazed men who sit on the benches and talk to themselves. Again, such diversity!

Its amazing how we can all get along, walking past each other on the crowded sidewalks and crazy subways. Its pretty fantastic!