Signs, Signs, Everywhere's a Sign...Politics, Pandemics, Protocols

       𝅘𝅥𝅯 Sign, sign everywhere a sign                                                                                                                          Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind...𝅘𝅥𝅯                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             "Signs", a song that became a big hit and a 'sign of the times' in 1971 by Five Man Electrical Band (ironically released as a B-side song to "Hello Melinda Goodbye"), is just as relevant to our times and current circumstances in 2020.   

A Day in the Life:  In transition from home to office this morning, the first sign I saw was one thanking health care workers, located on our front lawn (which will remain there as long as it can stand up to the weather). The next I encountered, just a few houses down, and on just about every other lawn the rest of the block, promoted various political candidates and other platitudes du jour. Then, the two digital church signs I read each morning (today one more visionary, the other cautionary in nature). As I arrived at my office, a quick glance at the now ubiquitous sign "Must wear a mask in common spaces" before I entered (despite no one else being in sight at that early hour). Finally, upon arriving at my office suite, I noticed a new sticker on the reception window "In support of our health care providers" (me included, from the hospital I am affiliated with😊), and a notice to all who come for a visit regarding their HIPPA rights. All of this within about a span of ten minutes! Let's see, if I extrapolate to the day and week ahead...(including a few trips to the grocery store, during which you and I are now directed, redirected, and directed again by signs, floor stickers, and  prominent postings in a dizzying array of shapes and colors--all designed, of course, to gain our attention, accompanied by reminders over the store intercom in case we aren't paying enough attention!). But instead, I have managed to gain new appreciation of what occupational therapists refer to as 'sensory defensive', a condition I often encounter in my practice, that some come by naturally and others acquire from experience--a hypersensitivity to a certain sensory modality, in this case visual. You could make the case that we are currently experiencing a 'collective visual cacophony', to the degree many of us are simply annoyed by the presentation of yet another sign, whereas others are completely ignoring them--like when I was biking by the local school yard in which there were several dogs and their presumed owners, who apparently either didn't notice, ignored, or disregarded the prominently displayed "No Dogs" sign. Ugh!

Enough's Enough!  The science of signage, the where, when, and how much to place signs, has been the study of departments of transportation, marketing consultants, political consultants, and a host of other disciplines for decades. A tacit appreciation for the delicate balance between gaining our attention and stimulus overload can be found by a quick survey of just the titles of such studies:                                                          "What is signage clutter and how do we reduce it?"                                                                                      "How to Market with signs without annoying customers"                                                                              "WARNING: Too many safety signs can be hazardous!"                                                                          

On the Road Again: Billboards have been with us since about the time highways were constructed, many times even a welcome accompaniment on a long trip, if cleverly displayed. More recently, along come the electronic displays, ostensibly to assist the motorist with various cautions and anticipations of road conditions ahead. But "Entry to Canada Restricted", hundreds of miles from any access point--really?! And they wonder why we become jaded, why we quit reading, let alone complying. Who will be the beneficiary of all the political signs on election day and how/when this pandemic ends, is anyone's guess at this point. But a political and scientific certainty is that we will continue to have signs as part of the next chapter in our history. What signs come up when people are obligated to take down all the current election cycle signs is also open to your predictions. But another thing that is certain is that I'll keep up my "Thank You Health Care Workers" sign well after we're finally rid of this pandemic predicament. 

Signing Off, Slight 'Departure': 𝅘𝅥𝅯Hey mister, can't you read                                                                                                                              You've got to have a shirt and tie and mask to get a seat...𝅘𝅥𝅯