I’ve always loved flags, especially our nation’s Star Spangled Banner. I’m sorry to admit that I don’t have one to display, today, as our country marks the annual observance of Flag Day.
Maybe this blog will serve as my inspiration. We had an American flag (and a flag holder) at our former home but we didn’t move it with us. I think it is definitely time to buy a replacement.
The origins of Flag Day date to the late 1800s but the movement took on serious steam when President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation to officially establish the observance of this day. Congress enacted a law in 1949, which was signed by President Harry S. Truman, to make it official.
Still, Americans aren’t quite sure what to do with the date. I didn’t notice a throng of flag waving citizens on my way to or from work today; I didn’t see anyone wearing flag-themed ties. Maybe the most important thing that comes of this day is that we stop and take a minute to think of our flag and what it represents.
I noticed American flags, a lot, during our recent vacation to the west coast. In fact, one of my favorite photos we took during our visit to Alcatraz is one featuring the flag near the edge of the island with San Francisco Bay and the city skyline in the background.
Near our home, there are many businesses that fly flags on a regular basis. Some are quite majestic.
And there’s no place I’ve been where flags are more prominent than our nation’s capitol. When you’re visiting the mall, take a moment and do a slow 360 degree turn and I’m sure you’ll notice multiple copies of Old Glory in every direction. The circle of flags around the base of the Washington Monument is one of my favorites.
A great majority of us living today have grown quite comfortable with the notion of 13 broad stripes and 50 bright stars. I guess it has now been 53 years since Alaska and Hawaii were granted statehood and pushed the total from 48 to an even 50. In the early part of the 20th century, I guess, there were numerous iterations of the Stars and Stripes as western states came on board.
I can’t imagine. It must have been an exciting and dynamic time.
I will tell you this: I did take a moment or two as I was flying over those western states last month to remark on how diverse our country is. Those western states are so different from our surroundings in the Southeast. And think about how your snapshot of ‘what is America’ is shaped by the place you call home – from the foggy shores and sandy beaches of the East Coast to the vast plains and majestic mountains in the middle to the rocky coasts of the Pacific. We have an amazing country.
I’m not sure that I have any major call to action to offer other than to suggest you find a flag near you, take a moment to observe it and reflect on its deeper meaning. Flag Day falls right in between of Memorial Day and July 4th when deeper feelings and national commemorations occur. Today is just a moment to pause and maybe offer a quick salute to the Grand ol’ Flag.
JG
(Source: timeanddate.com)
Originally posted 6/14/2012
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