Drive Interstate 90 between La Crosse and Madison, Wisconsin, and you’ll see lots of billboards around the larger cities and in the area by the Dells. Edited Minnesota Prairie Roots photo.
BILLBOARDS CAN CLUTTER the landscape. Too many words. Too many materialistic messages. Too much visual imprint when I’d rather see the natural surroundings.
As you would expect in Wisconsin, there are lots of signs for cheese places along I-90. Edited photo by Minnesota Prairie Roots.
But I understand the value of signs, large or small, in drawing people into businesses, to destinations, to detour off the interstate. That said, I noticed a lot of vacant billboard real estate while traveling Interstate 90 from La Crosse to Madison, Wisconsin, this past weekend. I can only speculate that in a tech driven world, this form of marketing to the masses is declining.
Edited photo by Minnesota Prairie Roots. Anyone know the story behind this billboard?
Still, I pay attention to roadside signage and noticed a billboard with a simple and profound message: FORGIVE and BE KIND. I photographed the sign within 10 minutes of Exit 69, the road to Mauston and Oxford. A LAMAR Advertising credit runs along the bottom.
FORGIVE and BE KIND. The words are simple enough. But forgiveness and the added directive to “be kind” can prove a struggle when the pain and hurt run deep. Yet, both can be achieved. It takes work. Time. Healing.
Another cheese sign along I-90 in south central Wisconsin. Edited photo by Minnesota Prairie Roots.
I’d like to hear your thoughts on the FORGIVE and BE KIND billboard and/or on billboards in general.
© Copyright 2020 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Forgive and be kind, loosely Jesus’s description of God’s second greatest command Love your neighbor as yourself, which was from a command given by God to the Israelites through Moses in Leviticus 19:18. A prayer I tell myself every morning. And to the subject of billboards in general, as the multimedia billboards become prevalent near population centers the old fashion billboards seem to have gone the way of the horse and buggy.
Have a great day Audrey!
Thank you for sharing your insights, especially “Love your neighbor as yourself.” I would say that fits.
I am loving this billboard. Makes me wonder what the story is behind it, though. Did an individual buy that space to send a message to a specific person ? Or is it just a blanket statement that someone wants to share with the world? Whatever the reason it caught your eye and now the eye of many others through your blog. Thanks.
I wonder the same. I googled this hoping to find answers, to no avail.
Please, let it be so.
Laughing.
That emotion out there, I have an aversion to digital billboards and signs. There are too many and they are distracting, and, well, visually I just do not like them. Plus, the messages are sometimes too lengthy to read as I drive by.
We missed the “Brat grill” sign near Wisconsin Dells again.
Yup. Gotta catch that sign one of these trips.
I am now craving cheese – thanks – ha! Also, be kind is a GREAT REMINDER for each and every day 🙂
One of these trips to Madison, we need to exit and buy some Wisconsin cheese. One of the businesses, and I don’t recall which, is painted bright yellow.
I have been to one as a kid and cannot recall the name. I know my parents stocked up on cheese curds and sausages.
I’ve patronized several Wisconsin cheese shops, just not the ones I’ve seen recently along I-90 to Madison. Wisconsin makes some darned good cheese. But then so does Minnesota, including right here in Faribault. I especially love our local bleu cheeses.
My parents talked about the dairy available in Faribault when they would RV for months there. Love myself some good dairy, especially cheese.