Years ago, Mother and I took a trip with her sister and husband. We drove to Florida and it was the first time I had ever seen the ocean. It wasn't one of those trips where you drive non stop trying to reach the final destination because we stopped at each and every point of interest between here and the deep blue sea.
We took Uncle Neal and Aunt Venice's car and the three adults shared the driving. When Aunt Venice would be behind the wheel, the more she talked, the slower she drove. Keep in mind, cruise control was only in science fiction at the time. When her story or conversation ended, she would accelerate, laying us back against the seat, and we would be on our merry way.
When Uncle Neal took his turn, he slowed down to read every billboard along the highway. Believe me, there were hundreds of them and I thought if I saw one more Ruby Falls billboard, I might croak. I just wished someone would stop and help her up.
About half way through the trip south, Aunt and Uncle realized I had my driver's permit. I don't think they ever got behind the wheel again until we arrived back home.
This area doesn't have a lot of billboards. There are a few, but since they have been deemed unsightly, their locations are restricted. But something new has sprouted up all over the place, the digital sign.
These are the signs that have the business name at the top and then a lighted area beneath the name. When they first started showing up, the lighted area usually told us two things, the time and the temperature.
Now it seems they are used to tell us a whole boat load of information that is usually impossible to read at whatever the posted speed limit is.
Things such as, WECANMAKEYOURSMILESOBRIGHTYOUWILLHAVETOWEARSHADESTOOBRUSHYOURTEETHINTHEMORNING!
Or, STOPINSOONANDCHECKOUTOURLOWINTERESTRATESFORYOURNEXTHOMEIMPROVEMENTPROJECTVACATIONORSIMPLYPAYOFFBILLS!
Then there are the ones who think it's a good idea to be the community bulletin board and will have something like this, SUNDAYFUNDAYINTHEPARKBRINGTHEKIDSTHECATANDTHEDOGANDALLYOURFRIENDSFUNFOODANDAGOODTIMEFORALL!
With the evolution of the automobile and the billboards we are constantly bombarded with tons of useless information. Down deep inside, all we really want to know when we come upon a digital sign is two things, the time and the temperature. The only reason we want to know this is to make sure the sign is right, because our vehicle's time and temp is never wrong.
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