Alone in the cockpit of my father’s sailboat, I am gazing at the shore several paces away: pine trees teeming with crickets above, sea below, and gnarled rocks in between. Green, gray, and blue. This morning, my flag.

Addendum I (December 26, 1989)

These words felt both soothing and invigorating against the background of Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Albanian, and all other brands of Yugoslav nationalism. Mesmerized by relentless flag waving, I was ultimately compelled to make my choice of colors. Green, gray, and blue. The colors of elective exile.

Addendum II (August 5, 1997)

As it turns out, this is the flag of Sierra Leone. Although its middle stripe is supposed to be white, it turns gray in use, as witnessed by the battered rag in front of Sierra Leone’s embassy or consulate on Portland Place in London. Passing by this building earlier today I wondered what calamity led to this particular choice of colors.

Addendum III (May 25, 2000)

Having realized today that my flag of choice is almost the same as the flag of Sierra Leone, which is very much in the news these days on account of the civil war there, I decided to add a few clever words to this piece. To my surprise, I found it without much ado. To my even greater surprise, this connection was long made and perhaps equally as long forgotten. God only knows when I will be back with this tired discovery, but it is safe to bet that this memorable event will coincide with Sierra Leone’s return to the news.