George Gershwin’s brother Ira

...wrote the lyrics for Porgy and Bess and one of the songs is called "It Ain't Necessarily So" (which happened in the film version to have been performed by Sammy Davis, Jr.). And while you may agree or disagree with the idea that "the things that you're liable to read in the Bible, it ain't necessarily so", it is indisputable that the things that you may have been taught in school and the things that you might be told by news anchors nightly and even the things you may see with your very own eyes are also not necessarily so.

A few cases in point.

Today, June 14th, is Flag Day in the United States -- at least it used to be. Most oldsters learned way back in grammar school that it was on this day in the year of our Lord 1777 that Betsy Ross of Philadelphia presented the first American flag to George Washington. Here is one painter's depiction of the scene:


It turns out that it never happened. It is a myth. There are a number of websites you can google that will disabuse you of that particular notion.

Next, and more or less on the same subject, and also strangely appropriate for Flag Day, it has been taken as an article of faith in certain circles for many years that the design of the first American flag (which is depicted correctly in the painting) was based on George Washington's family coat of arms, which dates back to the year 1346 in jolly olde England Yorkshire. You can see it and read all about it HERE.

You guessed it. Also a myth.

Finally, in current news, here is a photograph of the leaders of the G-7 nations who met together this past weekend in Cornwall, England:

The seven nations in the G-7 are Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Japan, the U.K., and the U.S.

So why are there nine, count -em, nine (9) people in the official photo?

Because it ain't necessarily so, that's why.

The nine participants at the G-7 meeting were Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, President Joe Biden of the U.S., Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the U.K., French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the front row; and European Council President Charles Michel, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in the back row.

To recap, Betsy Ross, myth; Washington's coat of arms the basis for the American flag, myth: and seven nations in the G-7, myth.

The old gray world, she ain't what she used to be.

But Happy Flag Day anyway!