There's been a lot in the news about flags lately in Gainesville, whether or not certain flags belong at a certain place. So I already knew what the picture would be: a picture of a new American flag at Gainesville High School's "Avenue of Flags."
Monday afternoon I had shot photos of workmen preparing a taller pole, or mast, for the new flag, which would fly higher than the other flags representing the nationalities of the students at the school. It must have been later that afternoon that they raised the new American flag - a larger flag, recommended by area veterans groups, and on my way home that night I caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of my eye, but did not think much about it. It was late, I was tired, and I knew the flag was going to be there.
But the next day, we needed a new flag shot, and soon I was looking through the view finder at the new, bigger, brighter flag, waving and catching the early morning breeze above the other national flags. And then it hit me. "O say, can you see, by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed, at the twilight's last gleaming."
The new flag fluttered, then fell, then rose again as the wind caught it and made it wave... click, click,click went the shudder. The flag fell, then the wind picked it up really well this time, to show all its stars and stripes... click, click, click.
"O, say can you see," my mind whispered, just after dawn from my vantage point on Pearl Nix Parkway, "by the dawn's early light what so proudly we hailed, at the twilight's last gleaming."
This was not September, 1814, when Baltimore attorney Francis Scott Key penned those words while he was detained by the British offshore from Ft. McHenry, writing about an embattled national emblem that flew in the face of a defeated enemy that had failed to take Baltimore during the War of 1812.
No, this was today, the 30th of January, 2007, in Gainesville, Georgia, but did I see what Francis Scott Key saw, did I feel what he felt? He recorded his flag with pen and paper 193 years ago. I recorded mine with a digital camera but I can't help but believe that at that moment I did see what he saw, felt what he felt.
You see, he was writing about the "Star Spangled Banner" and his words became the lyrics for our National Anthem.
The "Avenue of Flags" was intended to be an outdoor classroom and show Gainesville's diversity. What better lesson is there than to see the flags from all those nations, and above them, waving free in the wind, our 2007 version of the "Star Spangled Banner." We are all descendents of someone who came from somewhere else. Recently, a fellow told me "It's hard to tell where you're going if you don't know or care where
you came from."
It's good to know where you came from; it's even better to know where you are now.
Next time you head down Pearl Nix Parkway, glance over at the Avenue of Flags. Pay particular attention to the big red, white and blue one that now towers over all the rest.
See if you don't see what Francis Scott Key saw -- and feel what he felt.
(Jerry Gunn is a reporter for WDUN NEWS TALK 550, MAJIC 1029, SPORTS RADIO 1240 THE TICKET and AccessNorthGa.com.)
http://accesswdun.com/article/2007/2/94877