Torn and Tattered

July 14, 2026

Walking on the beach this morning, I spotted a flag flying high above the dunes near some affluent beach houses. What struck me was how the flag had split almost in the middle, between the red and white stripes. Remnants of 4^th of July decorations and special ones for the 250^th are pretty common right now in the U.S., but this sad looking flag made me ponder. At first, I thought how disrespectful it was once thought to fly a damaged or faded flag. As a girl scout, I was taught flag etiquette. Damaged flags are to be immediately replaced. Decades later, my son Andrew played taps repeatedly at flag retirement ceremonies his boy scout troop conducted a couple of times a year. Retired flags were respectfully burned and honored. It is rare for people to follow such protocol these days. I wondered as I looked at the tattered flag flapping in the breeze, if perhaps it is symbolic of our country at this point.

Like the American flag, Americans have become torn along political divides. The flag itself has become a symbol of one side of the rift as folks wave it at rallies and events. Another side is ashamed to fly it for fear of making a political statement or of alienating friends and neighbors. I am old enough to recall the U. S. bicentennial and now our 250^th anniversary. Granted, I was a kid in 1976 so my perspective may be a bit skewed, but I don’t recall the flag meaning anything other than “I am an American,” back then. Our nation was pretty divided politically then as well on the heels of the Vietnam War, Watergate and national protests about civil rights, women’s rights, gay rights flooding the daily news. Still, wearing red, white and blue or displaying the flag was a relatively neutral thing to do. Watching fireworks, eating hot dogs and celebrating on the 4^th of July did not feel political in the least.

Today, as I walked, I wondered whether we as a nation can ever get back to a place where we come together. My guess is that even the most extreme members of our country want many of the same things: safe neighborhoods, enough money to support our families, good healthcare and the sense that we can make a positive difference in the world or at least in the lives of our children. I would bet my last dollar that those are common goals for most Americans and for most people around the world, regardless of political affiliation, ethnicity or religion.

This summer I have read two books that are causing me to consider how I want to move forward in the world. One is Beth Macy’s Paper Girl. The other is Finding Radical Wholeness  by Ken Wilbur. I don’t want to come off as a Pollyanna or naïve, but I do think that I will take Macy’s suggestion to read local newspapers and focus more on local news, local sports and neutral or even positive stories about human kindness. It could not hurt to pay more attention to the things that are important in our community and less on the ugly often divisive stories on social media, and in the national and international news. I want to dip lightly into those ideas so that I am informed but be aware of both sides. Ther spiritual laws of attraction are real. As much as I can, I do try to focus on the positive. I will also work towards Wilbur’s thoughts about developing a growth mindset that sees a bigger, more spiritually evolved view of the world eschewing ethnocentrism .

Finally, this week as I am fortunate to walk on the beach each day, I will focus on here and now. So far no one I have run into on the beach has asked my opinion on world politics or national concerns. If I delved into conversations along those lines, with strangers, I imagine I would find some folks with whom I disagree on many topics. Instead of becoming fixed on political division, I will watch the waves and the clouds as they shift and change. I will listen to the birds and watch them feed, protect their young and rest in the sand at the point. When I do encounter folks along my walk, a cheery  “hello” is all I need to share and perhaps an occasional comment about the fishing, dolphins offshore or how much fun the children are having playing in the surf. Hopefully, after this vacation I will continue to recall the beauty of the landscape and the common humanity of each person I encounter.