Jim Larsen, supervising editor for the Whidbey News-Times, asked me an interesting question this week. He was wondering if I would have a flag on the front page again.

Of course, this question came after I asked him a few days earlier if he thought I could get away with it one more time. When I look at the last few issues, it seems flags have dominated, in one form or another. But you know, that’s okay with me.

I have no problem showing some healthy respect for our nation’s flag. I’ve actually learned quite a lot about it recently. Oh, I knew all the historical stuff, of course, but I didn’t know some of the finer points of flag etiquette — not because I wasn’t interested, but because we as people tend to become a little blase about what’s always in front of us.

I attended my first U.S. flag retirement ceremony last weekend, and I highly recommend that everyone see one at least once in their lifetime.

I was touched by the vehement feelings of our veterans, who are truly offended when people fail to even stand when a Color Guard marches past at a parade, much less salute or place a hand over their heart, as custom dictates.

The Stars and Stripes aren’t on the front page this week, but they easily could have been. I guess the editor in me doesn’t want people to become blase — after all, if we can look at the American flag and not really see it, what chance does a little newspaper have?

Of course, there’s always the Fourth of July.

-Kathy Reed, editor