Since the long-gone days of the Burma-Shave billboard, the art of putting up ever-changing public messages on roadside signs has been largely left to churches. Church signs frequently display aphorisms, quotes, and announcements, and some of them can be pretty funny. I can’t help reading them whenever I pass by.

But why give churches the monopoly on entertaining signs? What’s preventing you or me from putting up a sign with our message of the day?

That’s what Ayden Byle thought. A couple of months ago, he was a newcomer to Toronto’s Cedarvale neighborhood. He didn’t know anyone there. But he made friends quickly after he got noticed by a lot of people who walked or drove by his house.

It was because of his sign.

When Ayden Byle began writing cryptic messages to the neighbours, life changed on Atlas Ave. Byle moved into the neighbourhood in April. His house is a boxy bit of modernism in a neighbourhood of traditional bungalows, duplexes and triplexes. It’s the kind of style everyone has an opinion on — love or hate. “Then Ayden moved in and everyone loves it,” said neighbour Ian Taylor, 36. Byle, a tall 38-year-old with the faintest trace of grey in his dark brown hair, has the neighbourhood’s attention, and admiration, ever since he started posting daily messages on a chalkboard in his front window.

Byle wrote messages like “One simple hello could change everything,” “Grace trumps karma,” and “Is there any better place than here?” None are stunning revelations. Some are even a little trite.

But people responded.

Every morning, parents who drop their children off at the nearby schools slow down to read the status updates. Some take pictures. Others leave sticky note requests on his front door. “When I first started doing it, I was a bit self-conscious. I’m a single guy … do people think I’m batshit crazy? Because every night I’m in here doing my sign,” he says.

He needn’t have worried.

He grabs a pile of mail, sticky notes and cards, and spreads it on his table. There’s a big construction-paper card from a Grade 7 class, complete with quote ideas. There are homemade cards from families welcoming him to the neighborhood. Letters from anonymous strangers thanking him for the inspiration.

Byle has given a well-attended party for his new neighbors — after writing the invitation on the sign, of course. They brought house-warming gifts, including some nice bottles of wine.

This isn’t strictly a story about atheism, or religion (Byle isn’t too interested in either, calling discussion about such topics “semantics“). But it is a story about community, which religious folks have historically been very good at building. Atheists may have some catching up to do in that regard.

Maybe this inspires.

Also, isn’t it fascinating that in the age of instant-messaging and Facebook and Twitter, a physical sign still has such power to draw people in — and make a difference?

(photo via Metro News)



