One of my delightful weird little quirks is that I love reading the message boards outside of churches and firestations. Every time I drive by one I have to check to see if they’ve changed the message from the last time I drove by. I think they are hilarious. My sister shot me an odd glance when I told her that. I’ve got a weird mind.
Anyways, today I saw one in Brunswick that said: “Please everyone and you please no one.” Huh? That doesn’t make any sense. Of course I know that it is supposed to read: “Try to please everyone and you please no one.” That makes sense. But if you please everyone, why don’t you please anyone? How can everyone be pleased and not pleased at the same time? They’ve created a syntax nightmare! Philosophically, that statement opens a whole new can of worms. For instance, if you pleased everyone and yet no one was pleased, does that mean that no one can ever be pleased? Or does it mean that the only way you can be pleased is if everyone else isn’t pleased? Do we take pleasure in others displeasure? Is that what it is asking?
Like I said, I’m a weird guy.
C'est Non Un Blog 
it’s a total contradiction in terms. You can’t decipher it because it’s not enough to work with. Most churches post stuff like that because they really have no clue about writing or sayings, or well, anything that would make sense in the first place. 🙂 I think I saw one that threatened me. Something like, “Thou shalt burn in hell if thou doubts.” Doubts what? I doubt it will rain. So I will burn in hell? hahahaha Too funny.
I read them all the time too. It’s cool that you do too.
This particular I wrote about was actually a fire house.
There is this one between my house and Williamstown that I love driving by. It often avoids direct reference to Christ and God and goes straight to the advice, most of which is actually kind of clever. Every time I drive by and there is a boring message I am extremely disappointed.