There’s a man that I’ve chanced to see a few times over the past year or so standing on the northwest corner of 5th Avenue and Main Street in Rapid City holding a homemade sign, smiling kindly, and waving at the passing cars. The man appears to be in his 50s, appears to be pleasant, kind and largely unassuming, and the sign appears to be a 3x3 foot portion of what was once a cardboard box.

The first time I saw him, several months back, on approach to the intersection I felt a guard of sorts unconsciously rise into my consciousness. I’m not sure what this guard or wall I felt was moving in to protect me from? I was in my car, he was simply standing on the corner holding a piece of cardboard.

As I approached the intersection the light turned red, giving me the opportunity to size up the situation from a standstill rather than splicing bits and pieces together haphazardly while on the roll. Driving westward on Main Street at 5:00pm allowed my head to appear to be looking absently forward, toward the setting sun, while my eyes, under cover of sunglasses, were free to roam and read the sign and the sign maker.

This roam and read only took a few seconds, the message the cardboard held was short, the manner the man possessed was kind and sincere, and just as quickly as that guard or wall had materialized it had vanished. Three simple words written in black on a well-worn piece of cardboard “You are loved” turned my head towards the man.

When the light turned green, I removed my sunglasses, rolled through the intersection and briefly our gazes met, briefly we saw each other…smiled…waved and moved along. So it goes.

Now, each time I see him on that same corner, holding that same sign, no guard or wall comes up, but rather a smile materializes and an openness ensues. That openness one feels when all is well, when life is good or at least good enough, when we aren’t being told, aren’t being asked…we’re just being reminded of something we may forget from time to time.

Something that, while splicing bits and pieces together haphazardly while on the roll, we may miss. Something that we may see more clearly and understand more deeply if we simply stand still, let down our guard, open ourselves up, turn our heads and really look and really see.

I’ve thought about stopping to visit with man, to get a closer read of him and his sign, to thank him for bringing a bit of light to the intersection of 5th and Main. I’ve thought about it…I’ll keep thinking about it. Perhaps it’s not necessary? Perhaps there’s only way to determine if it is or isn’t necessary.

This time of year, these lyrics seem to find me wherever I find myself…

“Oh the summer time is comin’, And the trees are sweetly bloomin’, And the wild mountain thyme, Grows around the bloomin’ heather. Will ya go lassie go?”

Go find yourself a 5th and Main, or better yet, find yourself some cardboard and make one.