Stars and Stripes...

I've never considered myself patriotic. I've never really "got it". Like alot of young snarky latte-philes, I think I've written off patriotism as something that those who are in power seem to wield as a smoke screen to get the spotlight off them and on to those whose criticisms are "unpatriotic".

As we've been preparing for this year's June concert, "By the Sword", a theme many of us are not quite sure of, I kept asking myself, why? Why are we doing this concert? The military is in the same frame of reference as the lockerrooms in middle school and P.E. class, somewhere I always felt on edge about. Too much testosterone and of absolutely no interest to me.

But as we rehearsed last thursday for a group of glbt veterans who proudly said their branches of the armed forces when introduced, it meant something to them. A band of brothers/sisters they probably remember fondly, perhaps. Comraudery and friendship that you never forget. The chorus is that to me. So when I see the flag I'll be thinking of those who have served and those I've sung with and it will mean something to me.