I’m at a red light after morning carpool. Cold. Still in drop-off mode. I look to my right. Older people are standing on the corner holding signs.
“Honk for freedom.”
“Protest is patriotic.”
“IKEA has better cabinets.”
Cabinets? I’m lost.
I’m stuck at the light, so I roll down my window.
“What are you protesting?”
The woman closest to me smiles.
“The Constitution’s being violated.”
I’m still stuck on IKEA. Is this a protest or a furniture ad?
“What’s with the cabinets?”
She brightens.
“IKEA has better cabinets than the government.”
It’s funny.
And no one driving by gets the joke.
If you’re going to stand on a cold street corner at 7:45 am, you don’t get a second sentence.
Clarity is not dumbing it down.
It’s making the point impossible to miss.
If people can’t tell what you stand for in five words, they can’t stand with you.
