F is for Flying - images of America

Travel to the United States aboard the flying kangaroo (aka QANTAS) isn't for anyone who gets twitchy after oh, around 7 hours cooped up next to coughing, farting, irritated adults, cuddling whinging, coughing, farting, screaming and/or vomiting toddlers. By the time you're nudging 10 hours it's become quite tedious. And at the 14 hour mark you've either entered a Zen state or ....

It's not fun, not even mildly entertaining, no matter how many movies you can watch without going stark raving mad. It's amazing how long you can make a meal last and how you can entertain yourself with the dinky pre-packed items before even that loses its appeal!

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Flying flags on private properties is something that is relatively rare in Australia. A few businesses might have an Australian flag out, the local council could have the state flag, the aboriginal flag and possibly the Australian, or a local flag flying, but you sometimes wonder if it's simply so they can have something to lower to half mast on sombre occasions.

Sometimes you'll see the flags of different countries flying, and know that the occupants of that home were born somewhere else. There could be a pirate flag on a beach hut, a footy team flag, but more commonly, nothing at all.





In the United States, flag flying appears to be the norm, not the exception. Some flags are large and attention grabbing, some small and tucked discretely into verandah posts. In my more jet lagged moments, I imagined some confused people could use the flag to remind themselves where they live. They might wake up in the morning and say, "Now, let's see, where am I?" "Hmm, I'll look out the window and see what flag is flying." "Oh, yes, of course, silly me, it's the United States! Thank goodness I had the forethought to put the flag out!" Or could it be along the lines of "Whew, thankfully I'm not in .... (insert name of undesirable country here), what a relief!"

As a patriotic expression showing that you're proud of your country, it's really rather lovely .... unless that is, if you choose not to have one fluttering in the breeze and some people assume that means you're not proud. That wouldn't be good at all.

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