A Tale of Three Flags

By -
I walked out my door this morning resigned to the saga of the leaves. Armed with the blower, I was determined to handle the leaves in the only way someone of my stature - short, and tired - can handle them. Blow them into the landscaping, and hope for a miracle storm to decimate them. But then I saw the flags. Three garden flags, the third one added last year when our older son left for college. The ECU flag (MINE) still stood upright. The Tennessee flag (hubby's) still stood upright. But the Clemson flag, that tiger paw flag which is orange on one side, and purple on the other, had been very unceremoniously yanked out of the ground, flagpole and all, and thrown down.

Seriously? Sheesh. I mean, yeah, I get that not everyone likes Clemson. Personally, if they ever play ECU in anything my purple wearing self will NOT be cheering for the Tigers. I mean, yeah, I pull for them to see our kids happy, but I've got my priorities, and the word Clemson shows up no where on my diploma. But really, you had to walk half way up into our yard from the golf course to yank out the flag. If you just kept walking down the course it would have been out of the sight of your offended eyes in less time then it took to come up here and yank it out.

But, you did take the time, and now I'm taking the time to draw a comparison. A comparison between the election and my flags. See I keep looking at Facebook like a wreck that draws me in while I feel horrified for looking. And every time I look, I see the most horrible assumptions.

I have people I love on both sides of this election. The choice of a candidate did not change my love. I didn't suddenly look at someone with new eyes just because of who they voted for in this election. They are not perfect, but here's the thing - I'M NOT PERFECT. Thank goodness, cell phones with cameras and video recording did not exist in my teens, and twenties, and that's all I'm gonna say 'bout that.

I look at the choice of who to vote for as a very personal one. We each have a life journey that plays into our choices in a thousand ways, from whether we use a turn signal, to who to vote for or what college we cheer on. To assume that someone is horrible because their choice was not your choice is not the choice to make. (leave my flags alone)

Our younger son is now at Clemson also. The last few weeks we had some very interesting conversations regarding college, and politics, and the urge to follow the masses. I hope our sons don't follow me in all my choices. I want them to think for themselves, to accept their choices, and to recognize the wisdom in being an individual. Let's not assume the worst out of others. Let's not think that we need to correct someone else's choices. Leave their flags flying on their property. Take care of your own property. Help your choices succeed. Democracy is a choice.

Go Pirates. Go Vols. Go Tigers.

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