I offer heartfelt thanks for these five silly words | Sam Venable
There’s a lot not to be thankful for this year.
War in Ukraine and Gaza.
Political schism driving a wedge through the soul of America, friends against friends, families against families.
Mass shootings that occur with such frequency we’re numb to this unspeakable horror — until the next bullets riddle a peaceful and uneventful dot on our own road map.
Square miles of plastic waste in the oceans, megatons of noxious air in the atmosphere.
Supreme Court justices on the take.
Poverty and hunger in the world’s wealthiest nation.
Opioid overdoses. Ignorance. Prejudice. Indifference to human suffering.
The list winds on, no end in sight.
And then …
One glance at a hand-lettered sign makes me ever-so-thankful for the simple gift of silliness. Every time I drive by and see it, I can’t help but chuckle aloud.
Should you wish to look for yourself, take a spin along what I like to call the “Thoroughfare of Many Names.”
Technically, it’s State Highway 33 South in Blount County.
To Knox Countians, it’s known as Maryville Pike.
To Blount Countians, it’s called the Knoxville Highway.
And to those living in the heart of Maryville, it’s East Broadway Avenue.
Whatever you call it, and whatever route you take to get there, head for the short stretch between Richy Kreme Donuts and Aroma Café.
At the angled intersection of Waycross Avenue, on the Richy Kreme side, there’s a utility pole. Look toward the top of it. If you don’t laugh, or at least snicker, you need to be tested.
PRIVATE SIGN
DO NOT READ
Where did this thing come from? Beats me. I’ve stopped and asked around, but nobody seems to know who posted it. Or why.
Perhaps one clue is a sign directly underneath, and blocked by, DO NOT READ. Was DO NOT READ placed atop a message someone disagreed with?
If so, why call added attention? Why make a new sign, climb nearly to the top of a tall pole and nail it in place? Why not deface or remove the first sign?
Another clue could be a small tract of nearby land, its fence festooned with “Private Property, Keep Out” warnings. Maybe this is meant to underscore — or ridicule — the isolationist notion.
I choose to think this is merely somebody’s weird sense of humor on public display. Something goofy to counter all the friction and bitterness we face every day.
If so, many thanks. We need that.
Sam Venable’s column appears every Sunday. Contact him at sam.venable@outlook.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Sam Venable: I offer heartfelt thanks for these five silly words
