A Sign to Be Kind

Sometimes influencing the public-at-large can be pretty simple.

When we see a “No-Parking” sign, most of us won’t park there for fear of the citation and the subsequent fine that could go along with it.

Speed limit signs are supposed to have the same effect on us.

There are many other street signs that are designed to guide or alter our behavior and to maintain our adherence to the law, whether it is notifying us to “Stop,” that we’re in a “No Passing” zone, that the lane is a “Right Turn Only” or “Do Not Cross When Flooded.”

Those notifications are all backed-up by statues in the court of law.

Sign of the Times

Ah, but the court of public opinion can also wield some clout.

A friend of mine in Pittsburgh, Pa., recently posted a snapshot of a sign outside the city’s History Center identifying the area as a “Kindness Zone.”

The Kindness Zone signs were originally installed in dozens of locations around Pittsburgh in 2019 as a way to honor the late Mr. Rogers and, obviously, to promote kindness.

As Abbie pointed out a few years ago, Mr. Rogers was always looking for helpers and he was explicit in his keys to success:  “There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.”

Obviously, there are signs to be just that.