I Really Am a Cranky Old Lady

[copied from dland]

When I was a girl ...

It still doesn't seem that long ago to me, but I guess in real time, it is. I've never been particular about rules or following them; I still like to believe that there's a lot of flower child still in here somewhere. Keep in mind that from 1969 to 1972, I covered the hole in the seat of my jeans with an American flag patch.

Having said that, here are the things that are bugging me lately about people and how they don't know how to behave in a public place.

Despite the Viet Nam war, I was taught that the American flag is always to be properly displayed and handled. I was a Girl Scout and a Girl Scout leader, and y'know, these flag handling rules are not so tough. A worn out or frayed flag is never displayed. Flags are taken down in the rain unless they are specifically made all-weather flags. The flag never touches the ground.

So all these flags everywhere since 9/11 are driving me crazy. Abby Hoffman was arrested for wearing a shirt made out of a flag. But now you can buy a flag thong, and there are flags flying from car windows in all weather, and they're blowing off onto the road and cars are driving over them, and by the time they're blown off your car they're practically hanging in shreds. So if we're showing the flag for whatever reason we've got to show it, can't we show it some respect while we're at it?

And why are people always clapping for themselves, huh? I was taught that this was BAD MANNERS. You can see it on Oprah, on anything. They introduce someone and say "Here's so and so, she did some terrific thing or another" and everyone in the audience claps (as they should) and then so-and-so CLAPS FOR HERSELF. This looks tacky, like so-and-so's mother never showed her how to behave in public.

Am I wrong here?

Or am I just old?


ENTRY #20