*originally published 9/9/19 on jeffjucha.com
A life-shaking moment will happen soon, and you won’t see it coming.
But you can see the warnings while you’re driving.
Leaving my apartment involves descending a steep driveway to the main road where a stop sign looks you and in all caps, asks you to stop. I remember the time before the stop sign existed there. Most of us slowed down, but a stop was rare.
But near-collisions were not.
Stop signs are not “request signs” or “command signs.” They’re warning signs. The reason for my stop sign is the steep grades and blind curves to the right and left. Drivers take the turns at 35-50mph depending on the driver’s age and how much coffee they had that morning. You won’t see them coming. You’ll only know when they’ve arrived.
But others have seen them pass.
So, the powers that be installed the stop sign to change that. It was for our protection and our own good.
So nowadays, most of us slow down, and a stop is rare.
Signs are useless when we ignore them.
“Your cholesterol is elevated again this year.”
“You should wear your seatbelt.”
“Stop here for a minute.”
“Dogs growl.”
The types of warnings are not consequential. The fact they exist is, and that should prompt you to alter or correct course before it does.
Even if it’s a blog post, prompting you to pay attention.
