Flag Day

There are certain random dates I know of because of equally random reasons, and June 14th is one such day: Flag Day.  The only reason I know it’s Flag Day is because, around the time this post is going live, just about 15 years ago, my wonderful parents were driving me around in our old Chevy Suburban putting up the Stars and Stripes at various locations around Downtown Columbia, then going back later that night to pick them all up again.  I don’t remember the exact number, but I’m pretty sure it was close to 50 flags.  Our Boy Scout Troop put up the flags as a fundraiser on the different patriotic holidays throughout the year, and Flag Day is one of the common ones my family usually chose, as we were frequently available.

Flag Day always serves as a reminder of my time in Boy Scouts, something I haven’t really thought too hard about in the last decade (and then some) after completing my Eagle Scout rank.  It’s one of those things I kinda hope I can get back to some day, preferably with a son in tow.  In retrospect, it reminds me quite a bit of getting through graduate school.  In both processes, you select a committee, you present a project to them, you update the committee on your progress on a regular basis and they give you pointers and support to get you through it, culminating in one final test at the end of it that really isn’t much of a test, as much as it is a conversation about your experience throughout your time there.  Both are grueling processes, but I can’t help but think that my participation in Boy Scouts, amongst other things, contributed to my ability to get through graduate school.  Definitely not something I considered at the time, but worth telling future scientists working toward their Biology and/or Chemistry merit badges.

So, always remember: June 14th is Flag Day.  And if you see a kid putting flags out in Downtown Columbia, and his poor parents with their 32 oz coffee patiently watching and helping, tell them “thanks.”