Flamingo

Is there anything more beautiful than a beautiful, beautiful flamingo flying across a beautiful sunset? And he's carrying a beautiful rose in his beak and also he's carrying a very beautiful painting with his feet. And also, you're drunk.

~ Jack Handey

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So when I see things that are interesting, sometimes I take pictures of them. You may already have figured that out. In the case of this image, I took it thinking it was interesting, but not sure why - or maybe how the pieces of interestingness fit together.

First of all, it's a grave. With a pretty big marker. It's also the grave of someone with an interesting and multifaceted last name - South. Third, it has a pink flamingo by it. Pink flamingos are in the south. The grave is in Pennsylvania. Pink flamingo law decorations came from Leominster, Massachusetts - you know, where plastics factory and art school collide. 

They gained their first surge of popularity in the post-World War II era of conformity. One of the (gabillion) challenges of sameness and conformity, however is losing oneself or at least getting lost. In the housing developments that grew during that time, the houses looked the same. Apparently people brought the flamingos home to decorate their yards so they would know where to park their cars and find their 2.5 children.

I provide you with that shallowly researched historical context in order to pose this question: Is not this headstone already different enough so as not to require a pink flamingo?

I think you'll agree the answer must surely be yes.

So why is the flamingo there?

I don't know.

I do know that I want to get one of these for my mom, though. A pink flamingo, not a grave. Just to be clear. 

Anyway, she and I have a raging battle about pink flamingos. She thinks I like them, and I think she likes them and I'm not sure either of us like them.  That said, we both enjoy shrimp so while we may not like pink flamingos, we are both a little bit like pink flamingos.

Also you can spell the word "amigo" from some of the letters in flamingo.  You're welcome.