September 5, 2005

• Labor Day

  Labor Day. It’s a funny name for a day when most people don’t work. For me, it means the end of my relatively calm summer because starting this week, I go back to having 4 jobs. I like all my jobs, but having multiple jobs is stressful because employers all have expectations and they are not always complementary. It also leaves me very short of time, but I hope that is not going to be as severe as it was last spring.

  In the meantime, I have today, Labor Day, to spend the way I choose. In our little town, we celebrate Labor Day very visibly. We have active VFW and American Legion groups and they put up flags in one of our parks.

  

  I really think the flags are quite lovely. They went up on Friday, I think, and they will probably come down tomorrow. The taller ones near the center of the picture are on a permanent memorial put up by the veteran’s groups. They are the US flag, the VFW and American Legion flags, and the Minnesota State Flag. The shorter US flags form a cross-shaped corridor around the memorial. Yesterday morning when we went to church, there were people walking through this pathway looking up at the flags waving in the sunlight. It’s really very moving to stand in the midst of them.

  The park is not a recreational park. It’s more of a town square, although it does not have our city buildings at its edge as a town square usually would, and it is not at the center of town. It is on the main highway, so anyone passing through town sees it. The hospital and nursing home are on the far side from the highway. On the other sides there are small businesses, homes and our church.

  There is also a WWII helicopter mounted in the park. My husband and I do not particularly care for this particular part of the memorial because we do not like to see symbols of war so prominently displayed, but it is meaningful to the veterans.

  

  I really enjoy the patriotic activities of the veterans’ groups. It’s a nice reminder of the role they played in keeping our country free and safe. It’s important to remember.

  On a totally different note, it find it completely unacceptable that a full week after Hurricane Katrina struck, there are still people in New Orleans waiting to be rescued. They have gone without food and water all this time. In our country with all our wealth and all our resources, that never should have happened. Thousands have died because nobody came to help them. It’s a striking and very sad contrast to the peace and serenity of our town park with its flag display.

  • 10:46 am
  • 15 Comments