I am a committed believer that the right words work wonders and the wrong words go nowhere.
Just down the road from us is the local Hospice Care Center. Hospice is an amazing organization and I have the utmost respect for their work. I am even close personal friends with one of the early 'founders' of the organization, Elizabeth Callari.
To get to the Hospice Center near me, you turn off of a busy thoroughfare and onto a side street that ends just beyond the Center. I just heard a curious fact recently. Apparently, the city had to be persuaded to replace the DEAD END sign with a NO OUTLET sign at the entrance to the street.
Am I wrong for finding humor in this?
I find it pretty humorous.. can imagine the conversation between Hospice ED and head of city transportation!
ReplyDeleteAnd, I imagine some of the patients and their families used that humor themselves.
My ex-husband burned himself badly last winter and while in the hospital he and a dear friend of mine came up with a little 'sick' humor. They compiled a list of songs: the first was Johnny Cash's Burning Ring of Fire. The patient thought it was hilarious, the hospital staff seemed horrified!
The words worked, they helped everyone find a way to relate to what had happened! He's fine, and shows off his scars to anyone who will look.
You're no more wrong than I am for finding the placement of a NO PASSING sign on the road directly in front of a local funeral home hilarious.
ReplyDeleteA few years back, I heard a report on TV that Roseanne Cash (Johnny's daughter) had turned down a request for the use of "Ring of Fire" as the background music in a TV commercial.
ReplyDeleteThe product?
Preparation H.
(The comment I originally posted on Kim's Facebook page)
ReplyDeleteGreat blog post, Kim. It doesn't surprise me that it took a bit of time to convince the city to change the sign. I've seen this type of situation in other industries as well. For example, I once did a project for a healthcare client that thought it a was a good idea to raise money for research on a particular disease through selling ribbons. They sold two kinds of ribbons, one color represented those who had survived the disease and another in memory of those who had not survived. They didn't have a color for supporting research or for those who were screened but never diagnosed. As people gave money, they displayed the ribbons prominently in a doctor's waiting room. The intent was good, but the symbolic interpretation of patients was far from what was intended. Patients arriving to be screened had increased levels of fear, anxiety, and nervousness even before they saw a doctor, all because their time in the waiting room was spent looking at the ribbons and wondering "which color ribbon will I be?". By eliminating an option and focusing mental energy merely on survivors and memories, the office had inadvertently sent a message to patients that these were the only two option available to them. A fascinating yet tragic set of communication mis-steps, sparked by the best of intentions, but failing to correlate the placement of symbols and the way they would be perceived by the audience.
BTW, that's the fun of doing qualitative market research for a living...I get to help businesses discover these kinds of insights and take strategic action to avoid or remedy them. :)
There are no "DEAD END" signs in California - at least not as far as I know (it's likely that there are a handful, but my point remains...). The norm is "NOT A THROUGH STREET" and it has been for as long as I can remember, which is currently 40+ years. I am not sure why but I suspect it was an early attempt at political correctness of some sort, though that term came after the signs.
ReplyDeleteOn a more global note and as you might expect coming from a rhetorician and communication scholar, words are extremely important. That said, I think sometimes we take ourselves too seriously. To answer your question, no, I don't think you're wrong for finding humor in it. If you are wrong, then so am I!
BTW: Love the clean time counter. You're 1,854 days ahead of me... I'm good with keeping it that way!
Walker - i 'get it' about the crisis humor. i was a pastor for 15 years, and i've seen and heard my share of 'inappropriate' and riotous humor. if i could get them out of my memory, i'm sure they would make some great stories.
ReplyDeleteEsbee - thank you for visiting and for your mention of my blog our yours. i'm honored. Hey everyone - click over to Esbee (http://lifeinforsyth.blogspot.com/) and show some love.
David - funny. very funny. you can't make that stuff up.
Connie - your observations are always so enlightening. Coffee soon?
Michael - always glad to have you visit. i know you get it. yeps. interesting about the signs in California. another thing that's different there (here).