On my way to work, nearly every day, I pass a tiny house with a flagpole in its front yard. The tiny house is lived in by a small, elderly man. Every morning he comes out to put his flag up. The unusual and moving part of this scene is that several school children line up for the school bus on the road next to his home. And every day he asks one of the school children to help him put up his flag. I have seen him, with a child, helping the child hold the flag off the ground, helping that child attach the flag to the line that hoists it up the pole. I don't know what he tells the children about the flag. I can only imagine. He might be a veteran, he might just be a patriot. I am moved by the fact he is out there every day with the kids, even in the rain, teaching them something about their country's flag.
I'm not in any way a "patriot". In the 60's I could have burned a flag if given half the chance. I'm not impressed with patriotism at all. But I am impressed with this elderly man and his committment, to his flag raising and to the kids. The connection between him and the kids is obvious, even if I've never heard a word exchanged between them. What a wonderful thing for all of them, what a memorable part of the kids' childhood, what a great way for the old guy to keep in touch with youth.
I know one day he will be gone but I hope it's not until after I retire, because if I have to see this ritual end it will make me cry.
5 comments:
I can't decide which comment to post here, so I'll post all three. You get to choose the level of smartass.
#1 - This is a touching story. I would probably cry too. Mostly because my mom is a softie and I get it from her.
#2 - There's an old guy I drive by every day too, except instead of putting up a flag with children he sits on a bench chain smoking. If this ritual ever stops I will assume he has died of lung cancer.
#3 - The only flag I fly every day is my FREAK FLAG. Oh wait, nevermind.
Porkbone?
You changed your site 'title'! Just one more Taurus who can't keep her fingers off the 'settings'.
Remember when we did the 'Rapture' practice run at Pinkey's some thirty years ago? And none of us got off the floooor?
Didn't realize that was a Rapture practice!That wasn't the time we were doing nude massage was it? That was pretty doggone rapturous! Porkbone is Christopher. Good alias isn't it?
I like the BLOG format because it allows me to be verbose to the extreme, but the give-and-take with commenters is cumbersome. I much prefer the interaction on yaFro.
I suppose Yafro is quicker for you isn't it? I only get to check it once a week usually, so it's just the same for me.
Post a Comment