Jesus, show me a sign, but not that one.

I like to know where I am going in life. Both physically and mentally. And when I am feeling lost, I look around hoping that a sign will pop up. 

I say this because I was driving back to campus the other day and I saw a sign, and let me tell you it was ugly. Maybe, if you are not oblivious, you saw them as well. 

All over campus we have gained new informational signs pointing to various places on campus telling visitors and those who are directionally impaired how to get to places. 

I am not sure who designed them, and I, quite frankly, am concerned. They lack any emotion to them. Stark white with black text is great for getting your point across, but it just reminds me of the generic “beer” cans. 

And for those too young to have seen these cans, they were just white cans with beer printed on them. 

No brand names, no ingredients. 

Just “beer.” 

And it tasted like swill. 

Imagine if someone took a Natural Ice, warmed it up to about 80 degrees, then threw them in a paint shaker. Flat, skunky and overall just not pleasant. 

That’s how I feel about the signs. Like someone went through the motions of making them, but did not put heart into it. Is this what our branding is going to look like? No character? Are we going to be an NPC of the college community? An AI version of what a college or university looks like?

Maybe this is the sign that I am looking for. Maybe this sign is showing me the exit and it is time to move on. I understand that things change. And as much as I fear change (especially nickels – they know what they did) it is time I embrace it and move on with my life.

Signs do not always appear the way that you want them to. But they are there to guide you to the next part of your journey. That’s the great thing about getting a sign. It is up to interpretation. One’s bleak and stark sign is another’s sign that is filled with hope and wonder. 

As I start my post-Castleton journey, I will see a lot of signs that could guide me. Some that I will ignore, and others that will change my life. 

I just pray that I will know the difference between the two. 

Clearly, I am fine with receiving signs. 

I just want them to be clear and aesthetically pleasing. 

– Will Smith