A Shortage of American Flags (she said)
by Heather 20 Sep 2011
Flag Collection at the Sardy Staircase
“J’aime votre drapeau” (I love your flag!) the eclusienne (lock keeper) effuses, looking at the US flag flying from the back of our boat. We pull Après Ski into the top lock of the Sardy Staircase, the first lock on our seven-week cruise around Burgundy. “Americans never travel here. I’ve been wanting a flag for my collection for years,” she continues as she gestures toward her lock-keeper’s cottage, where dozens of flags adorn the rear porch which overlooks the canal. I count three British flags, see a traditional New Zealand flag and an All-Blacks flag, South African flags, I even see a Swiss flag. But there is not a single American flag.
After travelling with the charming eclusienne, Angelique, for several locks, we explain we would love to give her an American flag, but that American Airlines lost the piece of our luggage (it’s been gone for five days) which contains our flags. We give her a US flag pin which she excitedly pins onto her lock keeper’s hat and we promise to return with a flag for her if our luggage ever arrives.
Angelique is not the first French person to ask us for a US flag. Last summer, as we packed our boat in preparation for her trip to Burgundy on a truck, the marina manager at La Mas d’Agenais (in the Southwest of France) asked for an American flag. We happily gave to her the flag flying from our transom so that she could finally add this flag from her collection.
The flag on Après Ski
Here in France, I notice many establishments hang the national flags of their various patrons along with the pennants of local or national sports teams. While Commonwealth and European national flags frequently fly, I rarely see Americans flags. And we can’t count the number of times that the rank-and-file of French society, maintenance workers, lockkeepers, and passers-by, see our flag and give a wave and a “hello America!” I suppose a lot of Americans believe that the French hate them and wish to appear non-American in an attempt to gain popularity with the locals. Whatever the reason, Americans seem to rarely self-identify as Americans in France (or anywhere in Europe) and hesitate to flash the flag.
Angelique may not think any Americans ever travel through her lock, but I know differently. Not two hours after we met her, we met a boat of Americans travelling toward her lock — flying a Mexican flag. We’ve also seen numerous Americans traveling in Europe with the Canadian flag sewn on their backpacks. “Where in Canada are you from?” we ask. “We’re actually Americans,” they admit quietly.
So, if you come to France, fly an American flag proudly, and bring another one and some lapel pins to share! I think you’ll find the American flag a warmly received rarity.
I detest flag waving of any kind. Perhaps some Americans feel that there is not much to be proud of at the moment.
The French have always been loyal to Americans – but their loyalty has not been reciprocated in a likewise manner. American foreign policy of policing the world and bombing countries for years and years is abominable. Very few, if any, people hate Americans in France, in 20 years of coming here we have never encountered any anti-American sentiment. But we saw a lot of anti-French attitudes in the USA. When American foreign policy changes maybe more Americans will be willing to own up to who they really are.
I agree about the flag waiving … I’m not a fan of blind allegiance either. But, I am proud to fly the US flag from our US ship (as is maritime custom and regulation) and am not going to pretend we’re not American as I’ve seen other folks do.
Americans do tend to have short memories when it comes to all the French assistance we’ve had over the years. We tend to forget their naval blockades which were so helpful to us during the Revolutionary War! I have a good friend who is a Naval officer, and he keeps a map of the those blockades on display — just to remind folks of what we owe the French.
It’s nice to hear you’ve had 20+ years of the same, welcoming France that we’ve experienced over the past few years. It will definitely keep us coming back!
I wish Americans were better at separating individuals from their governments. Remember “Freedom Fries” and the like during the anti-French sentiment following 9/11? We treated a lot of French things (cheese, designer clothing, wine) as if they were tiny extensions of the French official gov’t policy rather which we didn’t like than goods produced by French people which we do enjoy. What a crazy way to cut off our noses to spite our faces!