Patriotism: Flags are Great but Showing Up is Better

My former neighbor, a tall spare woman named Moreau, decided that every 4th of July, we should help her hang her enormous American flag between our two houses. This was possible because our houses, very old and very tall, were separated by a driveway and a wee bit of land. So it was quite possible to hang the giant flag with ropes from her upstairs window and ours.

We did this although I don’t know why. Moreau was a fussbudget of the first order, an elementary school teacher who breathed disapproval. That our household – our kids, our dogs, us – was loud and seemingly chaotic brought out the worst in Moreau, until the 4th of July rolled around and then we were pals.

It was fine. It made her happy. And the flag got noticed. Passers-by would be startled looking up to see it waving. The flag was a favor to a neighbor. Which, if you think about it, is kind of patriotic.

Patriotism to me isn’t about showing the flag. It’s about showing up.

It is so easy to check out. There are dozens of parallel universes, so many entirely separate streams of knowledge. A person could live for years in a content-laden environment, dense and rich with images and words, and not have a clue what’s happening politically or what’s changing in the government. We have a million echo chambers, replete with all the media one could want and cozy cushions and steady drinks from a free bar. So, showing up in a meaningful way when all these opt-outs are so tempting requires a huge amount of gumption.

Showing up means tuning in to the local news, knowing who your elected officials are, meeting them in person, going to public meetings, screwing up your little courage and going to the microphone to advocate for what you think is important. Voting. Every time, every election. Being physically present, visibly present in places where decisions are made.

Not waving the flag. Being the flag.

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Originally published in 2024 in the ‘Before Times’ but, to me, this is still the recipe for patriotism.