March 30, 2026
One of my favorite stories from Lake Wobegon is called “June 13, 1981 (The Living Flag).”
That year, to honor Flag Day, the citizens of Lake Wobegon decided to make a Living Flag. They assembled in the middle of Main Street holding placards of red, white or blue, and someone stood on the roof of Ralph’s Pretty Good Hardware to direct everyone into position.
The flag took nearly everyone in town to make, and everyone wanted to see what it looked like. So, two by two, placard-holders were allowed up to the roof to admire the flag and make their own suggestions about where it needed a straighter stripe or a tighter corner.
In my memory of the story, all of Lake Wobegon was out on Main Street for about six hours. It was a long, hot day, but “really worth it, to see that flag!”
For years I have said, “I am not a go-to-a-protest kind of person.”
I do not enjoy crowds. I love an in-person baseball game, but I really prefer to listen to them at home on the radio. When I sing in a choir, I’d rather be at the back or on an end. I loved the six feet between us when we were standing in lines to shop at the grocery store, and how empty the store was once we got inside.
And this time, for No Kings #3, I can’t stay home. My conscience isn’t letting me.
Lucky for me, there is a Living Flag kind of protest at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. Starting at 7:30 a.m. on March 28th, they’ll be making marks in the sand, spelling out a message for anyone flying by, and at 11 a.m. we’ll show up to fill it in.
Today I learned that nearly 1700 people have registered so far and they’re expecting 3,000 to attend. I am more excited than I am freaking out. Amazing!
I know so many people who will be marching and singing through Oakland next Saturday, and that’s the last thing my nervous system wants or needs. I also don’t want to hold a sign on a busy street corner, or on the I-80 overpass. Being part of a human sign is right up my alley, though.
Turns out, I am a go-to-a-protest kind of person, I just needed to believe there was a protest that would feel good to me. Seeing a photo of my introverted friends at the last one really helped with that. I’m meeting them there.
The lesson here is, if there’s a story that won’t let you go, keep pondering it.
I’ve known that I love “The Living Flag” because it’s about people coming together to make something happen: something beautiful; something small, and also big; something that lets us hear one another’s breath; something we’ll talk about for years to come.
I didn’t know that “The Living Flag” has been inviting me to find my own Living Flag this whole time. Almost 45 years. At least I figured it out.
If you’re wondering where a No Kings protest is happening in your area, visit https://www.nokings.org/. I hope you find (or make) something that feels healthy and perfect for you.
And if you’re not a go-to-a-protest kind of person, believe me, I get it. I hope you have remarkable days, however you spend them.
Keep taking good care of yourself,
Michèle
