OUR FLAG WAS STILL THERE
" It's the house flying the flag," were my instructions to first-time visitors. As I was the only one on the block doing so, it was an obvious landmark.
As a young boy, I was given the job of decorating the outside of our home with flags and bunting. Perhaps that is what gave me the love I have for the flag, and instilled in me my patriotic spirit. I am a patriot and I love the Fourth of July.
On one Fourth, when I was about ten years old, I decided to become a small-business person. With a business loan of thirty-five cents (from Mom), I bought a block of ice and paper cups, and convinced her to make a syrup of our homemade rootbeer. I put it all in my decorated wagon, along with an ice scraper, and headed for the park to sell snowballs for five cents each. I want you to know that I was able to repay my loan each time from my profits. Only in America!
But, I digress. I would like you, dear readers, to fly the flag on the Fourth. On a recent bus ride, I counted only 6 flags flying out of 35 homes. Discouraging. Do your part to increase that percentage, won't you?
More later
P.S. On your next visit to Baltimore, Maryland, enjoy a stop at Fort McHenry, the site that inspired Frances Scott Key to compose The Star-Spangled Banner, our national anthem.
Dad,
ReplyDeleteThe flag is flying here in the Old Dominion!
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Catching up after months of forgetting to read your charming blog! We don't fly it every day because of the old rules about not keeping it out in the rain or overnight, but we do try to fly it on the 4th or Memorial and Veteran's Day. My boys are both scouts and reverence for the flag is something that is taught from Tiger's (age 6) on. Sadly, the elementary school took the color guard ceremony out of the assemblies to make them shorter. It is one less chance those scouts (and all the kids watching) have to practice their flag etiquette. Thanks for your encouragement to do our patriotic best!
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