Don’t Sign Me Up

Yesterday morning I noticed our neighbors have a new yard sign advertising a man who’s running for one of our state’s prominent political offices. The person on the sign has goals very different than mine; the people in whose yard it is are folks I’ve always liked as neighbors. I was disappointed. I was also aware of a loss of respect. Admittedly, my first impulse was to put an even larger sign advertising the candidate of my choice in our yard. My husband pointed out how sign wars often end up being the cause of a lot of divisiveness, which has never been a factor in our neighborhood — and as I said, I’ve always appreciated this family. They’re friendly and quick to offer help if we need it. I’ve come to the conclusion that, other than letting me know how someone is going to vote, campaign signs mostly foster discord. There’s enough of that in the country right now as it is, so I’ve decided to take the high road and try not to lose respect for my neighbors as people — just for their political leanings. If only I didn’t have to see that darn sign every time I go out.