They Are Watching Us!

Along the winding, cratered road we travel each day from North Reading into Wilmington to get to and from Route 93, there are things watching us. No…I’m not referring to the local police who sometimes park near Benevento Sand & Gravel, or the animals that occasionally dart across the road in darkness. I’m referring to a number of gray, weathered faces that lurk out at us as we drive by as we race to get home from work or to pick up the kids from their sports. Never notice them? Neither have I until today…

As you travel east from Wilmington along Route 62, someone has taken the time to add a bit of artwork to the area otherwise void of anything remotely worthy of a passing gaze. Here, you will find upwards of 5-6 smiling faces posted to telephone poles and trees. These faces, made from scrap pieces of rubber or metal, appear to have been made simply by banging out a couple of eyes and a smirking mouth, similarly to the smiling faces we see in old pictures of the sun.

Could these faces be considered a bit creepy? Perhaps… But I like to think that the artist’s intention was simply to make us think about smiling as we come home from a long and stressful day at work.  While some might consider this to be a form of vandalism against telephone equipment or some form of graffiti, I welcome visual creativity in otherwise drab, industrial environments. I also thank the person that put forth the time and creativity to make these faces and post them along this roadway. We should all be as forthcoming with our creativity!

So, the next time you’re driving along Route 62, please keep an eye on the road…but also try to determine how many faces are smiling back at you. While gray, dirty and weathered from the harsh weather we’ve had, perhaps they will remind you to smile as well!