Memorial Weekend

Day 8 (5/24/09)
It is the Sunday of Memorial weekend. I went out quite early so there were not a lot of people out. Again things had been destroyed. The one uplifting exception was that “Tripod” was still standing. I spent a little time rebuilding but our son and his wife were visiting for the weekend. I am carful not to use the term home for the weekend because it is no longer his home and more and more I question whether it will ever seem like my home. I find as I get older there seems to be a widening chasm between my perspective and that of the general community. Yesterday, I was approached while out on a walk with my daughter-in-law and there dogs by a “Concerned Citizen” (Jerk) who, “as a veteran”, was concerned that my flag was too frayed. I agree that it had been out all winter and was getting a little ragged around the edges. Once a year I go to Menards and buy a new one and to be honest I haven’t made it there yet. I also do not have a huge problem with a slightly tattered flag. To me some of the most important flags in history have been ragged. There is a certain poetry to a tattered flag. It represents something that has endured hardship but is still standing, much like our country. I guess what upsets me, however, is this persons need to meddle in my business. This is the second time that a “Concerned Citizen” has felt the need to point out an issue with my flag. The first time it was because I was flying a Norwegian flag under the U.S. flag. It turns out that when flying the flags of two or more nations they are to be on separate halyards at the same height. I used to enjoy flying the flag and, although I am not a person given to the excessive adulation of inanimate objects, I always tried to follow the proper flag etiquette as I knew it. Now, I am to the point where I just want to take it down. I will never understand people who feel the need to inflict there opinions on others. Well back to the business at hand, inflicting my sculptures on others. Today I rebuilt “Boat works” and “Dangler” and a couple of cairns. I must admit it gets a little old rebuilding every time I go out. Perhaps during the summer, when I am out there all the time, I can spend less time rebuilding and more time creating new.