I love being 40.

I love being 40 and having all this new technology.

Like if it’s Flag Day 2011 and I’m cooking dinner and my sister texts me from 2300 miles away to say  simply, “You’re A Grand Old Flag.”

Celebrate Flag Day with me by going back in time…

The Scene:   Mari Sandoz Elemetary School  Omaha, Nebraska, Spring 1980.

The players:    Me, I’m in 3rd grade. Clearly, I’m awesome because I get to bring a CHAIR down the hallway from my homeroom to the assembly instead of sit on the floor like the shrimpy K, 1st & 2nd graders.  My sister is a player, too. She’s in the assembly.   Something about singing and baton twirling.

The plot:      Stuff happens. Little kids sing.  Most likely some genious-y asian kid played a Suzuki method violin.

The plot thickens:    The Second to Last Number is Up.   My sister, a 1st grade shrimp is singing “You’re a Grand Old Flag” while twirling a baton.  I’m mildly proud.  From my chair.

UNTIL—

Her baton gets caught in her dress…showing her underpants… as she sings….. ‘and forever in peace may you wave…’   (like the dress).

Here’s me in my chair, the sea of shrimps and GASP—— the FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADERS!— seated right in front of me!

Jill

Patriotic holidays have never been the same at our house.   God love our little non-singing, non-baton twirling underpant-showing (before it was even IN!) patriot Aunt Kristin! She’s a Grand Old Flag.  She had the cutest dress on, too!

Damn, technology!  Where were phone cameras and YouTube at the time?  We coulda been the next “Charlie Bit My Finger!”