“This flag, which we honor and under which we serve, is the emblem of our unity, our power, our thought and purpose as a nation. It has no other character than that which we give it from generation to generation. The choices are ours. It floats in majestic silence above the hosts that execute those choices, whether in peace or in war. And yet, though silent, it speaks to us — speaks to us of the past, of the men and women who went before us, and of the records they wrote upon it.”
~ John Philip Sousa
Recently at a ceremony I attended I was asked about an American flag lapel pin that I wear. I have a small horizontal commendation bar depicting the American Flag with three stripes. The pin is a replica of the one issued police, fire, and emergency services personnel working the days during the tragedy and attacks on the World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001.
As I was telling about the pin, my years in the fire service and about my family’s involvement in volunteering and service to others and to our country, I got to thinking about the flag and what it means to have a symbol to represent that spirit. It is interesting to me that when we speak of our flag, our country or our freedoms, we are not talking about a rectangular piece of cloth, a geographic location or a document, rather we are speaking of ideals, emotions and feelings.
Wikipedia synopsizes a brief history of flags in this manner:“Flags were used to assist military coordination on battlefields. Flags have since evolved into a general tool for rudimentary signaling and identification, especially in environments where communication is similarly challenging such as maritime environments. National flags are potent patriotic symbols with varied wide-ranging interpretations, often including strong military associations due to their original and ongoing military uses. Flags are also used in messaging, advertising, or for other decorative purposes.”
Thinking about how flags are used for signaling, identificationand sending a message, I wonder what others would think of themany flags of my own personal life that might be flown to depict me and my ideals. If I were to choose my flags there would be many I would fly. First and foremost I would fly the Christian flag, the American flag, and the Simpson family crest. I would fly the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity flag to represent my association, the flag of the Sons of the American Revolution, and a flag to represent the fire service. I would fly a flag for thegreat state of Mississippi, a flag for the University of Southern Mississippi (To the Top), a flag for Delta State University (Fear the Okra) and a flag for my high school. I would also fly flags for an assortment of things to depict things I truly enjoy in life such as Ole Miss Football, good barbeque, music, and all sorts of recreational activities I enjoy with my wife and boys.
There would be many opportunities for the viewer of these flags to draw assumptions of who I am and what things have impacted me in my lifetime. But would those assumptions be correct? Would the flags I choose to fly tell a true representation of me and my life, or would they paint the picture I would like others to see? As a small child my grandmother would always tell me, “Larkin, be careful, because not everything you see is what it appears to be”.
There is a fable that illustrates this point better than I can. It goes something like this: “A prince had some monkeys trained to dance. Being naturally great mimics of men's actions, they showed themselves most apt pupils, and when dressed in their rich clothes and masks, they danced as well as any of the best entertainers. The spectacle was often repeated with great applause, till on one occasion a member of the audience, bent on mischief, took from his pocket a handful of nuts and threw them upon the stage. The monkeys at the sight of the nuts forgot their dancing and became (as indeed they were) monkeys instead of actors. Pulling off their masks and tearing their robes, they fought with one another for the nuts. The dancing spectacle thus came to an end amidst the laughter and ridicule of the audience”.
I hope no one ever accuses you of not being any better than a dancing monkey, but I do sincerely hope that the flags you fly in your life, the ideals and issues you support and the morals of your character are rooted in a solid foundation. As individuals, we have the opportunity to paint the picture for others to view of us; as a community we can sell outsiders an amazing story about us, but if we are not rooted in strong morals and built upon individuals with solid character, people will see through our facades like looking through the holes of a battle worn flag. Our standards, our morals, and our integrity must stand the test of time, not break down at the site of a handful of nuts on the stage.
Good luck. Raise your flags high and let the wind catch them for the entire world to look upon with pride and amazement. If you do, I know our community will be better off for it!
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* This article was originally printed in the Sunday, September 29, 2013 issue
of The Chronicle's"Planting Seeds" column under the alternate title "Fun with Flags"
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