Give Me a Sign
"...nightmares, and even death." — Signs from Chicago
I was struck, upon landing in the US on Monday, at how many signs there are. Signs telling you what to do and what not to do, where to go and where to KEEP OUT, what you can buy, how you can save, what you should think. There are signs asking questions, signs giving information, relevant and irrelevant signs, restored and forgotten signs, official and DIY signs. Signs with multiple meanings, signs that rely on their surface of posting, signs that play off each other. The signs are abundant.
Yesterday,
and I walked from Wicker Park to the riverfront of Chicago’s downtown. Along our hour and a half stroll (probably longer thanks to my frequent pauses to take photos) I collected signs that caught my eye; signs that, in my opinion, were sending pretty loud messages whether they intended to or not. I couldn’t get enough — the universe (or the streets of Chicago, rather) were sending me signs.Which one is your favorite?
The pole adorned with layers of peeling fliers caught me. So many people clearly put their flier on top of someone else's like it was more important. That's telling.
The trust people will put in a sheet of paper to deliver an important message in their absence (while it weathers the elements) is kind of inspiring. Though the refuse it ultimately creates is less so.
Would you expect anything less from a country that worships freedom above all?