I took down our American flag so the mate could clean the vinyl siding. It's the sort of flag that came in a kit consisting of a huge printed flag, a bracket, three screws, two sections of pole that click together, and a gold colored plastic end cap shaped like a bald eagle in flight.
I bought it in a fit of frustration over how all the good symbols have been co-opted by religious and political thugs no more fit to run a country than is my beagle. I decided that the assholes could have Jesus and motherhood (for the time being, anyway), but I was taking back the flag and marching band music.
This sudden burst of liberal Democratic pride did not extend to a fifty dollar flag set, hence the twenty dollar aluminum pole with plastic eagle endcap was what I took down to clear the way for my industrious better half.
The flag still looked new, but alas! The endcap had not fared so well. I said to my husband, "Oh, no. Half the bird is gone."
He gave it a quick glance, and without missing a beat, he replied, "But you should feel good about it, honey - now he's left wing."