Well told!
By the way, I never did hung mine....
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caramon.
Senior Member
Joined: 25 May 2005
Posts: 255
Send Message 04 August 2006 · 02:04 PM
The sonic boom from 3 F16s woke me from my siesta today and
reminded that National Day is just around the corner. I went to the
store room to look for the Singapore flag that was given to me 20
years ago. I hang the same flag every year outside my flat for the
National Day celebrations.
The flag brings back many memories. Our young nation was born
because we seek independence. The whole idea was simple - for
ordinary Singaporeans to have a say in our own destiny. Nobody
expected in those days that we will be so successful economically
and that wasn't the reason why we fought so hard for
independence.
I'm sure you have seen the images of Labanon being bombed in recent
days on BBC and CNN. This country has been ravaged over and over
again by various powers in that region. As the people were fleeing
for safety from the southern Labanon, a young man with his family
(wife and child) was asked if he will ever return, "He said of
course". The reporter then asked him "Why? Everything has been
destroyed.". "I will return because Labanon is my country", he
replied.
This afternoon I took out my flag from the storeroom to hang
outside. The flag was given to me by my father who saw our island
progress from colony to nationhood, he reminded me to hang the flag
every year. As I took the flag out from the storeroom and unfurled
it, I noticed that the once pristine flag has somewhat
faded.....especially the stars on the flag. I was just a toddler
when my father ran my little fingers over those stars and told me
each one represented an ideal that made this country worth dying
for : democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality. My father
told me each specific star that represented the ideals. The star
that represented democracy seems most faded along with the one that
represented equality and justice.
I decided not to hang my flag this year. I will honour Singapore a
better flag not one that is already faded.
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