Words. Dialogue, discourse in an unbiased venue.
With the vanishing of the town square after WWII, suburban shopping malls emerged. Human need for commerce was fulfilled, but what about the need for social and civic discourse?
Well, we have the internet, the virtual town square, right?
But we are also creatures of our neighborhoods and city centers. We seek ways to talk and be listened to regarding life’s deeper issues in these venues. Ideally, we feel that we belong to our “place” and it, in turn, acknowledges the gift of our presence.
The electronic messaging sign at the University’s sports arena, facing a major traffic artery, was borrowed for an afternoon. I sent out messages to everyone, some encouraging ones, aware that most of the voices and images through mass media carry dark drama that can harm our psyches and communities. Or simply in this case, sports scores and upcoming events at the University.
Here’s how it went: I gave my list to the folks who program the sign:
- Love can heal all wounds
- Be encouraged
- Embrace aging
- Peace on earth
- The only universal constant is change
They posted the sports scores and upcoming events as usual, and interspersed these messages along with them. They made the decision on what colors to use and how to format the text. I like what they did!
I hope those driving by and reading the non-commercial messages had moments of surprise, smiles, reflection, and the experience of a richer and longer few drive-by minutes as a result.
