Today, I attended a flag ceremony. It was held in a parking lot. The lot was practically empty. Our class was the only one there, watching the flag get raised in its “full honor.” I was talking about the moldy ground that we were standing on. I don’t know if someone heard me but then again, I don’t really care. It was true. The thing is… I’ve always been hostile with flag ceremonies. It’s not my favorite time of day. I guess it used to be okay back in high school; when we were caved inside a gymnasium or our school’s quadrangle. The prayer was also okay. It was like asking God to save the country from the fall but the rest is just… agonizing. What I saw was our dieing country, fooling itself with the lyrics of the national anthem. The flag was tattered and as they raised it, it slowly tangled up unto the forsaken pole that was supposed to put it on the pedestal. And you should’ve seen the surroundings; outside the ground is the street which was obviously infested with flood a few days back and there were children, ugly, malnourished faces of poverty who played behind the fence like prisoners. As I watched the flag being raised, I bit my tongue, trying to sing along the words instead of uttering words of impertinence towards the melodious lies. God, it was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I don’t know whether to laugh or mourn at the irony that filled the atmosphere. What made it more annoying is knowing that no matter how hard I work my ass off, it wouldn’t make much difference simply because there are more crappy people than people who give a crap. Now, tell me, where is the meaning of that song? Where is the honor in that ceremony?
Maybe… someday… it’ll regain its value. But when would that be?
