38 – Signs *

Special thanks to Fraggle for providing the photos. Fraggle is in the UK and I encourage readers to visit her photography blog Fraggle: Rocking a camera across the universe. Please tell her I sent you and feel free to comment on her images here. All images are copyrighted by Fraggle and Fragglerocking Photo Blog.

Click the video above for 2 minutes of background waves while reading.

I like walking on the beach. It is good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on the feet.

Before leaving the condo, I look for signs about the conditions: the flags, the sky, the waves, the clouds, and the people on the beach. One colored flags are special – red, yellow, green, or purple to indicate water conditions or the presence of harmful marine life. All indicating the conditions that I will encounter as I walk – indicators that are signs.

Thinking of indicators reminds me of my science teaching days with students using litmus paper and other chemicals – a color or a color change serving as a sign with meaning.

The sand by the waterline is a sign of the tide. I prefer the wide, flat beach of low tide.

I think of all the signs each of us encounter during a typical day. Signs, such as symbols, icons, logos, and codes with numbers, pictures, and only a few words – and many without words.

Signs on bulletin boards, interior and exterior walls, poles, and in windows. Signs as stickers, posters, billboards, chalkboards, decals, stamps, neon lights, banners, badges, message boards, flags, and placards. Printed, painted, handwritten, or electronically displayed signs for regulations, advertisements, safety, announcements, directions, signals, information, and identity.

Signs are an indication, signal, hint, suggestion, evidence, warning, threat, promise – all indicating a probable presence or occurrence of something. Some signs are as obvious as a stop sign – or subtle as flowers to someone.

I think about the signs in a grocery store. Signs identifying aisles and the product-groups on its shelves Then each product has a sign of a price sticker and a label. Old record stores grouped artists by musical genre, followed by arranging every artist in alphabetical order – and most with a sign.

I think about the signs in nature as animal tracks, droppings, or phrases that help us identify poison ivy: “If three let in be, but if five let it thrive.” A tree’s leaf and bark are signs of its identity.

I think about signs regarding health and medicine – a symptom indicating a problem, let alone the all-important vital signs doctors commonly check. Blood tests reporting specific conditions in the body by indicating various levels of substances as normal or not – even above or below normal.

I remind myself that each of us were born under one of the 12 Zodiac signs. Special cheers to fellow Aquarians.

As humans, we show emotional signs through body language, facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice – all with many meanings. Think tears – a sign of love, grief, joy, success, hurt, strength, authenticity, and mo
I think about other body language signs as thumbs up or down, smiles or frowns, faces as happy or sad, nods, waves, arm position, and a variety of facial expressions.

The signs of mathematics come to mind – the positive and negative, the four key signs of mathematical operations, a variety of Greek symbols indicating a constant value or a defined meaning; such as delta meaning change and sigma meaning sum.

I think of signs as identity – such as logos, insignias, emblems, crests, badges, uniforms, and coats of arms. Some are universal, others language-specific. Everyone knows the golden arches are a sign. But if we are in another country, we may have to rely on the pictures on a menu sign to order.

I think of the signs on written music as key and time signatures, tempo, accents, legatos, staccatos, slurs, accents, crescendos, decrescendos, holds, and codas to name a few. Plus, some are instrument specific signs for a mart, mallet, mart lift, ring touch, toll swing, suspend, let vibrate, and more for handbell ringers.

Signs as indicators, warnings, omens, premonitions, foreshadowing, and threats in my surroundings as storm clouds, high winds, and rough water are signs of what is and as harbingers of what may come. Each season has numerous signs announcing the transition from one season to another.

I think about the signs on a standard keyboard – signs for currency values, mathematical language, percent, the “at” sign for email addresses, and hashtags – although I like to refer to it as an octothorpe over hashtag or number sign.

Some can communicate with sign language while the rest of us look for high signs, sure signs, the sign of the cross, and the directions to sign, seal, and deliver.

As a verb, sign brings to mind signatures, countersigning, initials, and witnesses for contracts, validation, certification, authorization, agreement, approval, and a seemingly endless list of stamps of approval. Then there is that request for an autograph signed on a souvenir.

We can also sign for, sign up, sign in, sign on, sign out, and sign off, let alone sign one’s life away, sign a pledge, and sign countless documents as long as we sign on the dotted line.

Because we recognize signs of progress, signs of a good person or a great mind, let this be the first sign of the beginning of the end of this walking adventure. We know no shirt, no shoes means no service to some. Besides, long-haired freaky people need not apply because sign, sign, everywhere a sign.

Signs are all around us, and for many reasons. So, thinking about signs has been good company for my walk. After all, I like walking on the beach because it is good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.

See what other bloggers have written about beaches

• What’s Up with These Signs (photos)
• Signs of the Times (photos)
• Superstitions and Signs (essay and photos)
• The First Signs of … (photos)
• Sign of Hope (poem and image by a visitor here)

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