So, next time you’re in D.C. and see a flag that looks like it’s having a mid-life crisis, don’t panic. It’s almost certainly because a human of high office has shuffled off this mortal coil. It’s not because of a bad poll, a lost sports game, or because the flagpole is just tired. It’s a moment of national pause—a brief, windy apology for the chaos of existence.
And if you’re still confused? Just buy a flagged-themed T-shirt and move on. Washington D.C. is a city of strange signals, and this is one of the few that actually means something. Unless, of course, it’s a Tuesday—then it’s probably just the wind. But probably not.
