Home of the Brave
Something happened today when I was having lunch at a local restaurant. Something that I’ve never experienced before in my life. My boyfriend and I were in the middle of eating, enjoying the food as much as our conversation, when all of a sudden, a muffled voice came on the intercom. Immediately, everyone at the large family table next to us, almost in unison, dropped their forks and stood up. Still unaware of what was happening, as other tables followed suit one by one, we felt compelled by the collective momentum to do the same. Then, quickly swallowing the last unsuspecting bites, we found our hands on our hearts as we faced the large American flag hanging down in the middle of the dining hall. Over the intercom came a voice this time much clearer than the last, joined by the voices of our fellow restaurant-goers singing along to our National Anthem.
I remember my days of public school in the United States were always kicked off with the Pledge of Allegiance, so the ritual of honoring our country was a daily expectation. But as an adult, with the exception of sporting events and a few national holidays, I’m rarely exposed to these moments of deference anymore. Perhaps it was the novelty of the experience today, the collective energy in the room, or the photos of our troops on the walls, but the entire scene moved me. Hearing the Star Spangled Banner in such an unexpected context, surrounded by tables of strangers all interrupting their lunch to stand up as one unified people, in fact felt somewhat surreal. Had we wandered onto a movie set by accident? Were we being “punked”? Surely, this wasn’t normal.
Even though this sort of thing wasn’t an everyday occurrence in my life, I realized that having designated times of the day for recognizing things you value is quite common in certain faiths, professions, or even families. For example, I know many families that sit down to dinner with a prayer or a moment of silence to reflect on something important to them before beginning their meal. For me, this awakened a certain nostalgia, perhaps for my childhood, when daily rituals and designated moments of deference reinforced feelings of camaraderie among us.
Given the current political climate, any reminder of unity is inspiring in its own way. On a personal level, it was a moment of hope. It was a reminder that regardless of party affiliation and your position on or in the political landscape, you can still have a profound love for your country, for its people, for its potential. We are all bound together by our humanity, at the core of which are our values. For some, standing for the flag and anthem represented a moment of pride, for others, sadness. For others still, perhaps it was a combination of both or nothing at all. But all of those feelings were the result of love for something important in our lives, and for the opportunity to recognize those feelings, in that moment, I am grateful.
When the anthem was over, everyone sat down, strangers once again, continuing their meals and conversations as if nothing had happened. Had they been affected as I had been? Had they taken advantage of this opportunity for introspection that was given to them? Did it make them question how they feel about their country and their place in it? I’ll never know for sure, but I will always hope, for sure.