PORTLAND, Ore. — We were in the throes of that one-two punch of serendipity and synchronicity, Pacific Northwest style. That’s what happened when on a walk through a quiet, working-class neighborhood we came upon a giant sign. It said, “Before I die, I want to. . . ’’
Dusk was settling, and Michael Jordan, garden hose in hand, began rinsing down the stretch limousine-long chalkboard that graces the side of his house. That day’s wordplay amounted to a whimsical cocktail of serious and lighthearted, as curious motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists stopped their forward motion long enough to weigh in: “Fall in love in another language,’’ “dance in space,’’ “recycle water,’’ “scuba in the city,’’ “see the outer atmosphere,’’ “have an oragy’’ (their spelling, not ours), “pet a giraffe,’’ and “throw a grenade.’’
Jordan, 33, who does home repair and construction, said he got the idea to erect a public board “while my wife and I were on our honeymoon in London. We saw one of the signs.’’ Similar signs dot the landscapes in Kazakhstan, South Africa, Australia, and Argentina, as well as in dozens of cities in the United States.
The woman responsible for launching the idea was Candy Chang, an artist, designer, and urban planner. “We don’t bump into every neighbor,’’ said the New Orleans resident during a November 2012 TED talk. “So a lot of wisdom never gets passed on. But we do share a lot of the same public space.’’
Chang said the idea came to her after the untimely death of a friend in 2009. “She was a mother to me.’’ The loss, she rhapsodized, made her delve deeper into the subject of death. She transformed the side of a vacant structure into space for the first “Before I Die’’ sign. “By the next day,’’ Chang reported, “the wall [was] entirely filled out. And it kept growing. So this neglected space became a constructive one.’’ Among the entries on that first board: “Before I die, I want to be tried for piracy,’’ “I want to sing for millions,’’ and “I want to hold her one more time.’’
“It’s about knowing you’re not alone,’’ Chang said.
From there, she put together a tool kit to help others who were interested. It contains a rundown of approximate cost of materials, such as stencils, chalkboard paint, paint rollers, and measuring tape. Also part of the package is guidance on how to go about finding a good location and getting approval from property owners, the business community, and local governments.
“A good location has regular foot traffic,’’ the instruction list emphasizes. “A wall can be created by one person, but it’s easier if you have help! People have created walls with friends, family, neighbors, classmates, coworkers, and organizations.’’
After Jordan returned from his honeymoon, he contacted Meg Perkins, a local artist, about the feasibility of designing, building, and installing a sign on his property in the Alberta neighborhood of North Portland. After shopping around for materials, Perkins, 50, built the sign in her driveway. “It took me a week or two.’’
A “Before I Die’’ sign forces those who come upon it to confront the hour glass, Chang said during her TED talk. “Death is something that we’re often discouraged to talk about, or even think about, but I’ve realized that preparing for death is one of the most empowering things you can do. Thinking about death clarifies your life.’’
Tony Glaros can be reached at tkglaros@yahoo.com.
