Red Flags
Personal Expressions & Good IntentionZ
These are the flags I speak of in the tagline of McKinley Rd Creatives, as in
‘ Where life is a playground, not a tightrope, an opportunity to fly a flag not cut down the pole.’
and in some posts that alluded to flags and my love of them.
These flags, give me sooooooo much joy. (Yup, pure joy). I resisted the ‘sew’ pun, because I have in fact sewn them maself, little red hen styles.
And welded the poles and the metal creative bits atop them all, bamboo pole included.
The 3 flags on the right, the most weathered, faded and storm riden, have been spreading good intentions in all winds and weather for a year now. They were my market research around the cheap $4 per metre poplin fabric (from Spotlight), the attachment cord from M10, and my welded rebar flag pole ideas (recycled). Would the idea work? How long would materials and colours last?
They have done well.
The bamboo pole, my most recent (4months) and tallest pole is where I am heading as far as poles go. There is a fenceline of bamboo down the road I can pirate the poles from, then drag them the 1/2km back up the road to home roped together in a bundle behind my car. (totally illegal methinks, but a high probablity of there being no cops on Mc Kinley Rd that evening)
Drying bamboo properly is an art I have yet to learn.
So so much pleasure from these humble flags, modelled on Tibetan prayer flags, dispensing good thoughts and intention into the surroundings. The colours are symbolic. I am no Bhuddist, but the flags are sort of spiritual to us.
Clicking on the picture frame displays the whole uncropped image. (re editing it doesn’t. Will post full images below this.
In fact the flags are so very very lovely, that I dunno why everyone’s not flying a flag of personal expression, desire or conviction in the world, at the centre of their worlds, homes and kingdoms. Making a statement about who and what they are. And not talking nationality here.
I struggle to get that ‘why not’ thang. Maybe I am special after all !
I don’t go much on patriotic flags. Once I used to think we should be flying them, in schools, above our houses, in town, out of town et al. Then I moved to America.
After the American chapter of my life I returned to Aotearoa thinking mucho differently about flags and patriotism. American patriotism seemed largely of the unreflected kind. The kind that goes on believing the narrative about itself, generation after generation, saying the same old same old stuff adnauseam, never really questioning the truth of the spiel. Patriotism and flag flying became an ugly kind of rah rah rah to me. I won’t mention Texas styles. (I do love Texas Steve :-) Don’t mess with Texas.
So when I talk of flags, I am not meaning nation flags, of kingdoms and empires.
The only national flags I will fly will be my Palestinian flag I have sewn, and any Maori expression of Tino Rangatiratanga flags. This expresses our homes solidarity with these peoples and causes.
Flags are so humble, they dance in the wind, the rain, they tangle and untangle themselves, and like a porpoise they seem to revel in their simple existence in the elements. Lotsa life lessons living with flags like this. Co existing with them.
There is a kaupapa (way of doing) I have around the flags, with putting up and taking down. Loosely based on Tibetan Buddhist flag kaupapa. I stress loosely. Replacing flags that have been flying and spreading themselves and goodness all year involves rolling them into a bundle and then burning them in a ceremonial way. They continue to spread good intent even in their burning. And I am as always thankful for their gift.
Putting them up I keep them off the ground as much as poss and hammering in the poles, I do with lots of good thoughts and intention. I like that kinda ritual thang. And I am not superstitious in any way.
So hope to have my new flags up by xmas. Will keep you posted.
Thanks for reading as always.
Mc Kinley Rd Creatives SubStack as stated, is an opportunity to fly a flag rather than cutting down the pole. I fly many flags and feel ridiculously blessed by the universe in our slice of paradise to be able to do so. (for expression and the adding splashes of bright colour to the worldview)
This new government in Aotearoa seems to be doing some serious and destructive pole cutting, poles that were flying good flags, creative and going places that needed to be gone to, and for many people. And tangata whenua have been patient and waited over 140 years for a place at the tepu. (table)
We are being taken back to tightrope, punitive, bigger stick, harsher penalty, elite mentality styles. Most thinking people know the answer is more complex, deep and long term. Strangely though, it was tangata whenua, the 1st Nation People who originally protested cutting down a flapole. Kiwi’s will know that story at Kororareka.
This governments doing it with a different kind of axe now and playing a typically dominant elitist game. We are not in for pretty times in the face of these retrograde small minded, and short sighted actions.
I will fly my flags and hope for better things. That’s my intention.
Cheers big ears
Graham
aka the Little Red Hen
P.S. Remember the non polarised vision for this space. Difference is the norm. Understanding the desire.
What an amazing display of good intentions for the world. Some nations fly their flag as a display to patriotism but their intentions and actions need examination. Greatness is far away from meekness and humility, but where there is meekness and humility then there is greatness. The attributes of claiming greatness are far from the realms of pride. I think your flags are a great testament of the folk who reside behind this fence on Mc Kinley Road and their questions to the world about humanity and fairness and equality.
These are great, I can see these looking really good in my community. I'm going to keep an eye out for long enough bamboo and then hit you up for instructions.