Collaborate AND Listen

I am going to post a funny sign today.

I live in San Diego. When I was in college, I passed this sign quite frequently on my commutes back and forth to my parent’s house. Incidentally, I don’t like it when people misspell quiet and quite. I’m not claiming to be the world’s best speller by any stretch of the imagination (seriously, ask anyone, I’m always saying, “Do you spell _____ with one ‘r’ or two?); I’m just saying “quite” and “quiet” are quite different. Okay, I’ll be quiet about that point and get back to the sign you see below.

Most people think this is a pretty funny sign, but I find it to be more of a sad reminder.

*Climbs up on my soapbox*

I found out that this sign was first put up in 1990. Most people think that a sign on the side of a freeway with a father dragging his family behind him is pretty funny…perhaps the humor comes from the fact that people aren’t supposed to be walking around on the freeway…it’s why is always such a jarring image when we see that dude that’s run out of gas and he’s walking along the freeway with the little red can.

Now, I don’t want to get too political or anything, but this sign has been around for a long time, even though it STUNS me that I can consider 1990 to be a long time ago. But seriously, what has really changed in America? The reason this sign is so strikingly sad is this, and…stay with me here: People risking their lives by crossing an international border, and later, freeways, became such a “problem” that it warranted a warning sign for the commuters. But just imagine if the state of affairs in your country motivated you to risk the lives of not only yourself, but your entire family to go to a country that acted like you were a problem.

I’m not pretending that I have an answer for this problem, but I know that gun-toting freaks with stolen revolutionary war names hiding behind the 2^nd amendment is clearly not the answer.

*Stepping off the soapbox*

Wow…I got a little acrophobic standing up there for so long.

Wait, no, I think I’m going to get back on the soapbox again, because I may have an answer for the problem…or at least the kind of person we need to solve the problem. We need a transformational figure. Someone who can captivate an audience…a master of ceremonies type of personality, you know, a “hold the room’s attention” kind of guy. (Yes, that’s a phrase, I’m starting it here).

Someone light on their toes who can move quickly to put an end to bad situations. Someone who wants to pound out all the details with a mallet-sized work ethic.

Someone who can roll up his sleeves and get in between all of the partisan bickering and shout from the rooftops…

Special thanks to my friend Joe for the picture. Also, big ups to the guy having the wherewithal and moxie (yes, I said moxie...it's a real thing, the Food Network told me all about it) to spraypaint "Hammertime" on a stop sign...and the determination to create a stencil for the task.

PS