Seeing the sign cause to stop, think

Thank you (to) the stranger on the corner.

As I drove through town Wednesday morning, there was a solitary man with a sign, standing on the corner. I only got a glance at the words on his sign, but it said something like "A Veteran for Peace."

One man. One sign. One place in a very large world. Several thoughts crossed my mind as I drove on to my destination.

"What's the point?"

" What do those words mean to him?"

"Will people ignore, encourage, or respond violently?"

Both he and his message stayed on my mind and I was determined to find out more about him. I suspected that his presence would not be a newsworthy story and so I decided to just stop and visit with him. I'm sorry that he was gone when I passed his corner. It seemed to me so relevant that just days before we has stood on the same street celebrating Independence Day, the result of our predecessors taking a stand for what they believed.

I may never know his motivation, but I do know that if his sign gave some of us pause for thought, or started respectful conversations about peace and important matters in our lives and world, then I am grateful to him.

Susan Smalley, Kenai