i read peg's lj entry about a billboard and her daughters, and you should, too.

pegkerr: Simple things: keys and sparkle rings


it reminded me of a billboard that i once really liked, and i posted that story in the comments there, but i'll post it here, too.

my dad was in the hospital in late 2000, and very ill. not only was he in a coma, but he got sepsis, he got pancreatitis he got he got he got. to this day, you show his case notes from that time to a medical professional and they turn pale and mutter "he should be dead!" (for the record, he's not, and is doing well.)

i was driving to united hospital from minneapolis every day, along 94, and real near where hamline crosses 94, there was this beautiful public art billboard. it was a nighttime scene of (i think) downtown st. paul (could have been minneapolis), and it was lit up and hopeful and i could always count on a little bit of joy in my day when i saw that billboard because i loved it so much.

i was, shall we say, a tad disappointed the day i drove by and found out that it was actually a foreshadowing for the complete billboard, which was that background with an ad for miller beer over it.

on the other hand, by that point, my dad was getting better and we all had hope that he'd be coming home eventually.