Stop

Stop signs are everywhere. Many intersections have four of the red octagons prominently posted. Some stop signs are round which is ironic because a circle never ends. Wherever I go, stop signs interrupt my view and my progress. The subconscious impact on my psyche must be significant. Only the game of Monopoly has a green go sign. We have speed limits and preach stopping to smell the roses. We have constructed a world that values waiting. We wait in lines, wait for our turn, and wait a minute while hours, days, and years slip away. Traffic lights are called stoplights, not green lights. Some only flash red. We are told to stop talking, stop running, stop fidgeting. Stop it is the generic command that applies to everything. We have bus stops and stop watches. The designboom website features a “booger stopper” helmet that aims to stop users from picking their noses. Stop leads to stopped up noses and stopped up drains. We have neutered the word go with phrases like “go back and start over.” The gopher is a rodent and should no longer be the spokesperson for go. I nominate the dog in the book Go Dog Go. I need to stop whining and go catch my breath.