Editor,
It is that time of year when you invite guests to your house.
Are you the type that has to give direction like “turn left at the old milk plant that closed in 1956, we are the one with no address sign, the fourth driveway past the cottonwood that fell two winters ago.” Yeah, you want your privacy. But you know what? Nobody else cares about your driveway number; only the people you want to come to your house.
Fortunately when your house is actually burning the fire department will be able to find it. However, the ambulance cannot help you when your child is choking. When there is a herd of cattle in your yard that you don’t own – well, the police might take a while. And the courier trying to deliver your new Ronco Turnip Twaddler is going to waste 20 minutes visiting your neighbours.
Here is an experiment – go stand on your street, 50 meters away from your driveway, at dusk. You can see your address on the dark piece of plywood with the black paint behind the Saskatoon bush. Can anyone else?
There are fire-department-approved reflective address signs from Nanoose bay that last forever; you can buy one just by looking that phrase up on that interweb doohickey. You can buy some black numbers from the hardware store and nail them to a white piece of plywood. Imagine a lifetime of just telling friends your address and they magically arrive.
Buy one for you. Buy one for your neighbour, Merry Christmas. Go ahead.
Bryan Swansburg
Smithers
