A gentleman reigns as king of his castle, defender of his domain.  Since civilization’s birth, what does any proper citadel need?  A flag.  Flags mark territory.  They declare sovereignty or affiliation.  Through symbols, shapes and colors, a flag tells a story to outsiders about the land and its people.   To insiders, a flag emphasizes unifying values and shared aspirations.

You may have a mortgage.  You may mow the grass biweekly.  You even may have replaced the kitchen backsplash.  But, you do not own a house until you fly a flag on it.  What flag, you ask. This is not Fifteenth-Century Scotland: you do not need a coat of arms.  Instead, select the flag of an organization with which you associate, e.g., a university, the Marine Corps, or an athletic team.  Or, patriotically hoist the American flag.  Do not, however, fly another country’s flag unless you also display the American flag in a more prominent position.  You may have Swiss heritage, but you are not the Swiss embassy.

Some gentlemen ooze creativity and will insist on creating their own flags. The internet offers options for custom flag printing, though the prices may discourage you.  (Click here.  Or, click here).