I came across this question as I was driving around today. Not in an especially prominent place. Tucked away. Spray painted on the back of a warehouse on a less travelled road. It challenged me. I felt as if all those who happen upon it, those fortunate few, owe it to the asker to answer. My first answer: It’s likely been too long.
This got me thinking about signs and messages in general. What if such prompts for introspection were ubiquitous? What if we replaced every street sign with a call to action or opportunity for reflection. It could be called propupganda — messages designed to "prop up" one’s self-esteme. Would it make a difference in the way we see things? Would it make a difference in the way we treat each other? Or would these just blend in and be ignored. The same way we so easily ignore the mundane beauty that surrounds us daily. Would we rush pass signs like this and leave them unnoticed in the same way we rush past the beauty of the morning dew that has fallen on the lawn overnight. Unnoticed because getting to the where-we-go always seems to be more important than the where-we-are.
I’m in some ways glad this message is rare and off the beaten path. It makes the impact on those that notice it that much more appreciated. Here, in my rushing, I was stopped in my tracks and asked to reflect. And now my answer is: Right here, right now, I took the time to notice this. And, thus, my self is the better for doing so.