By Brandon HENSLEY

In an age when residents are increasingly skeptical about door-to-door salesmen, there was one man earlier this month you might have seen around the neighborhood. Don’t worry – the only thing he was selling was American Pride.

For three days leading up to the Fourth of July, Paul Barnes spent his free time handing out American flags around town, and the response was overwhelmingly positive.

“People were thanking me for coming out and being face-to-face, for trying to be more a part of the community,” he said.

Barnes said he loves driving down Foothill Boulevard and seeing flags on the light poles. It helped give him an idea: buy 400 American flags, size 12”x18”, and go around the community to better celebrate Independence Day.

“We like seeing the colors. It’s a good way to get out, meet neighbors and get to know our community better,” he said.

His wife Mariam was skeptical. She thought of how people might be wary of a stranger knocking on doors, being able to peer inside the living room. She thought Barnes, who is a real estate agent, might damage his reputation. Her advice was to post a message on the Official La Crescenta Facebook page, of which Mariam is an administrator, to give people a heads up.

When Barnes came home, Mariam asked him, “How bad was it?”

Barnes replied: “It was awesome!”

The post received a great amount of likes and positive comments. Mariam said it might be the most “liked” post in the page’s history.

“It’s always a good giveaway. The Fourth of July was a great kick-off. Came to find out people really dig it,” she said.

Barnes received text messages from people who gave him their address. After he dropped those flags off, he walked around several blocks to cover the rest of the area, and then he’d move on.

He met several veterans, including one who took him in, gave him some snacks and a Gatorade.

“He was proud of America and wanted to show what he’d done for our country,” Barnes said. “It was really cool to see someone so deep into our country appreciate that I was just walking the neighborhood with flags.”

Barnes didn’t give away all of the flags. He has a handful leftover and said there were some who refused, albeit politely. One woman said she had a flag and wanted Barnes to give hers to someone who might want one. Nonetheless, the success of the flag giveaway has emboldened Barnes to think of other patriotic ideas for the future. He’s not ruling out something for Veteran’s Day, and for next year’s Memorial Day.

And after that?

“If everything goes well, I’m going to have some new surprises for the next Fourth of July,” he said.

“I think the response really fired him up. People were so gung-ho about their patriotism, I think that’s what it was,” Mariam said.

Barnes’ favorite holiday when he was a child was Christmas, but now it’s the Fourth of July.

“It celebrates our independence,” he said. “We’re a free country. We’re a land of opportunity and [our independence is] the reason why.”

  Brandon Hensley