#1207 How You Take It

A word can be funny some times; totally changing meaning based on how you take it. Read can be “reed” or “red” depending on tense. Polish becomes polish depending on capitalization.
I see this every time I do a crossword puzzle. Crossword writers trick you with word meanings changed by context. So if you do too many crosswords your brain gets tuned in that direction.
I think I’m doing too many crosswords.
Recently I saw a sign on the back of a truck that said “Christian Counseling.” For some reason it sounded like a new form of rehab. Maybe because I had just seen another ad for a place that offered drug counseling. So my cross-worded mind naturally jumped to the conclusion Christian Counseling was for people addicted to Christianity. Some sort of evangelical intervention.
I had a similar experience when I was at a city hall the other day. It’s a big place, so they have signs out on the sidewalk to tell you which entrance to go in for various things. I started to go in one door and it said, “No weapons past this point.”
I backed up in a hurry. As a trained ninja in the deadly martial art of feng shui, my hands are registered weapons of decorating finesse.
I digress.
Anyhow, I went another way and saw this group of signs on a single pole. One said, “Parks and Recreation.” Underneath that, it said “Bill Paying”. Underneath that, it said “Violation”.
And I thought, wow, people come here to be violated?
It’s like a PR opportunity for tax protestors come true. “See, I told you the city was taxing us to death. They’re violating our rights. They even have a department dedicated to it. Right there on the sign, see. It says ‘violation.’”
Or like one of those adult services emporiums in Holland. “Yes I’d like the complete package please, nothing too exotic. A little domination perhaps and, oh, do you charge extra for violation?”
So I’m thinking, violation the infraction is a word too easy to cross with violation the activity.
Maybe it’s not a good sign for the city to put under Parks and Recreation.
America, ya gotta love it.