May 31, 2011
Memorial day…as it should be.
Today was such a blessing. Yet another day spent sweating and sobbing. Today we attended the Memorial day festivities in downtown Woodstock, and yet again (I like the word yet) I was so proud of our community. The city park was filled with people decked out in the patriot wear. Flags and poppies everywhere. I have to say it reminded me of jaws (I”m a huge jaws fan…and shark really) b/c if you’ve seen that movie you know they are opening the beach for memorial day, and have bands, and a very similar setup to what went on today. Lucky for us no killer shark came lunging out of the fountain to devour the spectators. It’s been so great working my way into this community. I’m starting to know people, and they me. Not just the “oh you’re Angel Eyes, I see your car everywhere…” now I am actually greeted by name! I love seeing familiar faces, and being a part of this town. There were so many wonderful things today, but I have to say what sticks out most for me is Chip Rogers speech about not apologizing for America, and how it has become fashionable to do so. You’ve got my vote Chip! Good for you. The other part was of course being reconnected with the Nelson family. I think of them often, and of the blessing their son was to our country, as are so many others. For those of you who don’t know who they are (see previous blog posts for details, as well as fan page album) they lost their son just a few short weeks ago. He was but a babe, and in the war fighting for our freedom. Today he was added to the wall in the Woodstock city park. I didn’t even notice the black fabric tied across a section of the wall. In fact I’m ashamed to say I didn’t even realize what that wall was before today. I’ve spent so much time running around down there shooting, and I’ve never even taken the time to look at it. Well, boy did I see it today. When that fabric came down it was just heart wrenching. Sobs filled the air. Heartbreak returned. So many felt it so clearly. The sound of my shutter was defining, as I watched the events unfold. I felt the world could surely hear it and I was intruding upon this moment. The saddest part about it all though to me was his poor sister. I was close enough to hear the interaction between her and her mom at the wall. I don’t know how old she is, but she must be so strong. I can only imagine the weight she has felt from the weekends events. There must be a huge sense of relief in the Nelson home tonight that this weekend is now past. Maybe now they can try to adjust a bit to their new dynamic, and station in life. I can’t even begin to imagine the sadness in their household, as well as so many others out there tonight. God bless you all!!
One other thing I want to tough on before I go. Anytime there is anything patriotic I am brough to flag etiquette in my mind. It seems as though it’s becoming a lost art (so to speak). In fact I’ve been told prior to meeting me there are people in my life who weren’t even aware of it. Do you know the flag should never touch the ground? I recently learned that if a flag is dipping (like they are in the holders) it is a sign of defeat. They should be held or displayed tall and proud! They should not be used drumsticks on the back of a chair! I mention this b/c yes today during the closing prayer a child (who was old enough to understand if told) did just this. Of course it’s not the child’s fault for not knowing. I found myself wondering if the adults in his life even knew? Maybe they do and just don’t care. I know in reality it’s piece of cloth and if it touches the ground are we really going to burn it? Some will of course. If it keeps the kid happy shouldn’t they be allowed to be used as drumsticks? Sure why not…NOOOOOOO!!!! That flag is a symbol of our great nation! It tells all who see it who we are and what we are about. It let’s others know that we are proud of who we are. We will not apologize for our country! We will not apologize for having rules for our flag. This respect should be upheld by each and every one of us. Like I said of course I don’t fault the child, and maybe the parents don’t know. I bring it up, b/c it really was upsetting to me, and b/c people may not know. So in the event this blog post isn’t floating around in cyberspace alone and you might want to know, here is a link. http://www.usa-flag-site.org/etiquette.shtml I do belive I’ll go read it and make sure I know them all. 🙂 God bless you all and our great nation!
Angel Eyes Photography 