Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Little Stapled-On Flag

 I've moved numerous times over the years.  As a writer, my biggest carbon footprint comes from the boxes, crates and plastic bags full of books, magazines, comics, manuscripts, notebooks, Xerox copies and scribbled notes I haul one carful at a time to my new digs.  Then comes the piles of shirts, pants, underwear, socks, towels, gloves and sweaters, half of which I don't wear anymore.  Number-wise, dishes, eating utensils, glasses, pots and pans come next in their clattering, banging masses.  And then there's furniture.


One item among my myriad possessions just does not behave.  It always pokes out and ends up by itself in some corner of the back seat or trunk.  It is a tiny little American flag, purchased at some forgotten flea market, held to a long dowel stick with only five or six staples.  Long enough that it will not fit into any of my boxes or crates, and it rips through plastic trash bags.  I have to roll it up and just set it somewhere loose.  I remember having to do this every time I've moved since well before 2000.


Even when I'm ensconced somewhere, it sits in the closet most of the time.  I dig it out on Independence Day and find some ledge or window sill in which to wedge it.  Ever since I was a kid, I loved the idea of there being "Flag Day," June 14, a lesser known holiday which was basically an excuse to put up the little flag again.  On 9/11/2001 it came out and waved for several days.


I just now got in my car, two weeks post-moving, and I realized the little stapled-on flag is still rolled up in the back seat.  Seeing as today is November 11 (Veteran's Day), looks like it should finally come out.

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