Tuesday, November 6, 2012

I Saw the Sign

I'm a person who usually gets lost when I drive somewhere for the first time.  I have to pay attention to signs.  Some that I've wondered about, for which there is probably a scientific explanation,  are the animal warnings.  They seem so random, but also very specific .  'Deer Crossing, next ten kilometers.'  I picture a late night meeting between a man in an orange construction vest and a lone deer.  Hushed tones, one of the pair a trained linguist, they negotiate sign placement.   We're going to need one here.  Over there, you might want to put up a fence, since it gets a little busy.  The man tries to remember what he's been told, since its too dark to take notes.

It pleases me to picture it that way.  I like the idea of a team effort in animal and human safety.  Good sign placement can make all the difference.  But wouldn't it be great if there were signs for each of us that appeared at the appropriate moment?  Little flags or pieces of metal would pop up just when a person was ready to take a false step, or say the wrong thing. Like,  You're about to embarrass yourself, thought you ought to know. If several people were around for the pop up, there might be a little confusion as to who it was for.  Me? I thought it was for you!  Maybe there'd be an argument or two.  The signs would have to be specific to avoid all the finger pointing.

Even better would be signs that popped up before you climbed out of bed in the morning.  Your husband is in a bad mood.  Keep your head down and agree with everything he says.  Or, Don't drive to the store.  You're going to have a fender bender.  Best of all would be the ones that said, Don't get out of bed today, for reasons too numerous to count.  One could phone into work with this reasonable explanation.  It would work the same as 'verified by visa' but instead would be verified by God.  Who else would flash personal signs? 

We actually have a form of signage already, that many of us tend to ignore.  I like to call it The Writing on the Wall.  Technically, there is no writing on any particular wall, but instead, an ability to read situtations wherever one goes.  Facial expressions, dark mutterings we often ignore, all these fall under the 'writing on the wall' category.  Some of us are so thick headed that we have to be given the news straight up, right in the face.  Even then, bubble headed optimists like me would probably ignore any indication of bad news.

Please read the lyrics to a song, Ace of Base's 'I Saw the Sign,' specifically written for this blog.  (Not really, but it fits nicely.)

I, I gotta new life, you would hardly recognize me, (cause you didn't read the sign.)
 I'm so glad How could a person like me care for you? (see, you didn't read the sign.)
 I, why do I bother when you're not the one for me? It's enough, enough (see what I mean?)
I saw the sign. (sure you did)


Don't be like the deer lying beside the road.  Watch for your sign, for all the signs, hints and warnings that the universe is trying to send you. Like, 'Bumpy road ahead.'  'U Turn.' 'Watch for Falling Rocks.' You never know.  The life, the day, and the feelings you save may be your own.