Meme Comment #5

[psubrat]

Continuing to answer comments from my Blogging Meme post.

From redeem147:

How did you get started collecting American flags?

That's a very good question because even I'm not sure when it really started. My best guess is that it began after I visited Washington DC for the first time in 1986. That's also the year that I realized I wanted to be an Historian -- though I may not have become one, I still did six years of college, majoring in History and Political Science.

Over the years I would pick up small trinkets that had the flag on them, but I have to say that I think my passion increased in early 2001 when we built the house. I made plans to use an Americana theme for the powder room downstairs. I even bought Americana stencils (bird houses) for the border. I was laid off in early August of that same year, so I started my powder room project -- working on the stenciling, getting hand towels, etc. Then 9/11 happened. That's when I really started collecting American flag themed items because, understandably, it became readily available everywhere.

Friends and family would also contribute to this "addiction" as they would be out traveling, see something they knew I'd like, and then they'd buy it. In fact, I think that 85-90% of my powder room decorations (bears, flags, stars, etc) were gifts. Even ESILFH even gave me something at Christmas last year that I haven't yet put up

Eventually, the decor started spilling out into the foyer and would still be there if it wasn't for a certain toddler's inherent curiosity. As it is, I have to rotate things and probably will continue to do so until Boo is older.

Comments

[appomattoxco.livejournal.com]

I didn't know you collected flags. Years ago I went to Big E con and was $10. short of winning the flag that flew over the USS Enterprise durring the attact on Pearl Harbor. [The Star Trek Con's charity was a rec room for the Carrier.] That piece of history went very cheap and I've regretted needing the money for the trip home since.

[psubrat.livejournal.com]

I don't collect flags per se, as much as I collect Americana items -- red, white and blue, sometimes flags are incorporated into those. My dad, on the other hand, has two flags that were given to him for his service to the fleet as a contractor with the Navy. One is from a base in Afghanistan and the other is from Pearl Harbor. They are really, really neat and I envy his job and dedication.