Monday, April 09, 2007
Denial of Death "You're sure they'll do something before they stand for the national anthem. But with the fans on their feet the announcer reads from a script over the public address system: Twenty years ago today four players lost their lives please stand and honor these players with a moment of silence. " The players look down at their skates, the others at their boots. A hush falls over the arena, the only sound the wooden roof creaking. Finally, after 30 seconds, the announcer says: Thank you. Please remain standing for the playing of O Canada. "And that's it, a moment of silence and nothing more. If you'd never been in Western Canada's Swift Current before, if you didn't know the back story, you might mistake it for tasteful understatement. But if you put your ear to the door, you'd know this is the minimum interruption in a culture of denial in a town where the only thing tougher than looking through a scrapbook might be looking in a mirror."
