Wow! In my wife’s home county! I love it. Lexington is the county seat.
I remember in 1994 I was on a furlough in the States, and had driven to Lexington from my father-in-law’s farm to purchase a new Rugar 9mm.
I was quite early; nobody was in the courthouse square (where a cannon ball from the Civil War Battle of Lexington is still lodged in one of the collumns of the courthouse).
The only people I noticed at all was down the block in Hardies where they still came around and refilled coffee cups free.
I parked in the square and was reading. A man in grey Dickies came out all alone from the courthouse; the sun had barelly come up over the roofs of the the old Victorian houses. The man had a neatly folded US Flag and commenced to attach it to the flag pole ropes. He did it in a very solemn and respectful way-—it was obvious this was more than a task to him. As far as he knew at that moment, NOBODY was watching him, but he grabbed the ropes to raise the flag as if he had an audience.
I stepped out of my car and stood at attention, and put my ball cap over my heart. There was no anthem; all was still and quiet, except the Anthem playing in two men’s hearts.
When he had raised the flag, he took a few steps back and put his hand over his heart. About a minute went by. When he turned he noticed me, so I waved my ball cap at him and gave him a thumbs up. He returned the gesture and walked inside.
Besides the traditional farm families I know there, that is the way I remember Lafayette County.
Excellent post John, very moving.