My mother often said that bad luck runs in threes. A good friend of mine believes that affirmation from God or spiritual things come in threes. I don’t believe in luck and I’m undecided on the other but I pretty much notice when things happen in threes. That is what prompted the subject of this post, signs. Not the kind that come from God, but the kind you read as you travel about town.
The three year old, our third grandchild, took notice of certain signs three times in one day. She is usually pretty chatty in the car, especially when it’s just her and me, but it was the first time I heard her mention anything about signs (other than McDonalds, of course). The first time was right after I dropped her older sister off at the middle school at 8:25 am on Friday. Someone had placed an advertising sign right next to the driveway exit sign, so they were literally side by side. Her comment was, “Look, Grandma, those two signs are friends!” I smiled remembering that the pre-school teachers were talking about friends on Thursday and had even taken a picture of her and her friend, Raine. Of course, I thought her comment was cute. We headed for the church to attend a MOPS meeting (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) or in my case GOPS (grandmother of a pre-schooler). After the meeting, as we left the church parking lot we passed the church sign. She told me that the church sign read, “Art museum at the church.” I laughed. I suppose the church pre-school probably looked like an art museum with all the hanging pictures. I admire my daughter, her mother, for giving her children a taste of culture by visiting the children’s museum downtown several times in the past year. It amazed me that a three year old child would even know about museums.
On the way home, she made her third “sign” comment in as many hours. “There’s Hairy Bob, Jr., III!” she exclaimed. Hairy Bob, Jr., III is the neighborhood’s beloved stop sign. It has a beautiful floral vine that has grown up through the post and out of the top, giving it an appearance of having hair. The older two grandchildren came up with the name for the stop sign earlier in the spring, before it had blooms on it. Now they say he looks like a girl (some of you won’t get this, but here we go again!). I tried to explain (pointlessly and stupidly) to the older children why Jr. and III are not possible in one person’s name. Wait, did I just say “person?” Why, yes I did. Then I got to thinking about how George Foreman named all his boys, George. So there is actually a George, Jr. and George III, within the same generation of Foreman boys. But I decided not go into that with the children. I enjoy Hairy Bob, Jr., III each time I stop at that corner.
The three year old, our third grandchild, took notice of certain signs three times in one day. She is usually pretty chatty in the car, especially when it’s just her and me, but it was the first time I heard her mention anything about signs (other than McDonalds, of course). The first time was right after I dropped her older sister off at the middle school at 8:25 am on Friday. Someone had placed an advertising sign right next to the driveway exit sign, so they were literally side by side. Her comment was, “Look, Grandma, those two signs are friends!” I smiled remembering that the pre-school teachers were talking about friends on Thursday and had even taken a picture of her and her friend, Raine. Of course, I thought her comment was cute. We headed for the church to attend a MOPS meeting (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) or in my case GOPS (grandmother of a pre-schooler). After the meeting, as we left the church parking lot we passed the church sign. She told me that the church sign read, “Art museum at the church.” I laughed. I suppose the church pre-school probably looked like an art museum with all the hanging pictures. I admire my daughter, her mother, for giving her children a taste of culture by visiting the children’s museum downtown several times in the past year. It amazed me that a three year old child would even know about museums.
On the way home, she made her third “sign” comment in as many hours. “There’s Hairy Bob, Jr., III!” she exclaimed. Hairy Bob, Jr., III is the neighborhood’s beloved stop sign. It has a beautiful floral vine that has grown up through the post and out of the top, giving it an appearance of having hair. The older two grandchildren came up with the name for the stop sign earlier in the spring, before it had blooms on it. Now they say he looks like a girl (some of you won’t get this, but here we go again!). I tried to explain (pointlessly and stupidly) to the older children why Jr. and III are not possible in one person’s name. Wait, did I just say “person?” Why, yes I did. Then I got to thinking about how George Foreman named all his boys, George. So there is actually a George, Jr. and George III, within the same generation of Foreman boys. But I decided not go into that with the children. I enjoy Hairy Bob, Jr., III each time I stop at that corner.
Anyway, my mind then moved on to thinking about a song I remembered from my teenage years. I found myself humming words from the song by the 5 Man Electric Band, entitled, “Signs.” Anyone remember that rebellious little tune from the 70’s? Then I started thinking how appreciative I am to live in a community that has restrictions or guidelines for erecting signs. Most of the signs have been landscaped and have beautiful flower gardens around them. So there’s no “blocking out the scenery, breaking my mind” going on around here! What does “breaking my mind” mean anyway? I’ve heard of “blowing my mind” and “breaking my heart” but not “breaking my mind.” Perhaps it’s a combination of both feelings. I haven’t totally lost my marbles, I’m getting somewhere with this. In the song writer’s last verse to the song he includes these words, “so I got me a pen and a paper, and I made up my own little sign, I said, ‘Thank you, Lord, for thinking about me. I’m alive and doing fine’.” I may have just convinced myself that spiritual things do come in threes.
2 comments:
Thank you for the e-mail glad everything is uneventful,The signs are intersting! Sounds like aunt SDM1999 will be put to the test with her youngest neice.I have to assume I missed your not feeling well! Hope your feeling better! HI kids,I realy have other things I could be doing,but this is the most important at the moment! It looks like everything is still green down your way, the trees and foilage are showing signs of fall here, our yard looks and feels like fall is aready here(crunch crunch)but the temps are still close to high eightys,but it cools down at night. Love you all,will call in a few days.WV GRANDMA.
This story about Hairy Bob Jr is too cute. Kids are so funny! I stumbled on your blog from a link on Js blog. :) Remind me to tell you something when I see you in church, I don't want to write on your blog!
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