I was out of town when a friend’s email alerted me to a church
reader-board sign I might want to photograph. Fortunately, when I got back to Spokane
it was still there. Naively, or boldly, it invited all those passing by to “Expose
Yourself to Jesus.” Quite apart from the profound theological issues the sign raised,
I immediately captured it on film (well, digitally).
I’ve since added it to my slide presentation of unusual
signs, and “Expose Yourself to Jesus” got its first public viewing at a Rotary
club lunch in Spokane last Thursday. I think the audience received it with a
mix of amusement and disbelief: amusement at this message’s double entendre, disbelief
that anyone could be that unaware of how passers by might interpret the
message. Just as astonishing is the fact that it was left up for public viewing
for at least two weeks. Maybe the church has subsequently changed it, perhaps
after someone stopped by the church office and said, “Um… about your
reader-board: have you considered the possibility….?”
This posting serves as a thank-you to friends like John, who
steered me toward this gem. Other examples in my collection come from alert
spotters aware of my delight in photographing unusual signs. Someone told me about
another Spokane reader-board, which proclaimed: “Do It Yourself—We Can Help.” And
a friend near Washington DC introduced me to “No Parking On Railroad Tracks
Except When Train Is Coming.” Yes, you read that correctly; no, I won’t tell
you the context.
Another example, spotted by one of my students, was at a
small cemetery. It read, with charming brevity, “Cemetery: No Dumping.”
The moral of the story? Every communication, especially easily
misunderstood signs, requires careful checking before you go public. Lest you, er…,
expose yourself to my always-alert spotters.
[300 words]
No comments:
Post a Comment