Billboards and Reading

Once, a child asked me, “How are you so good at English?”

I just answered her with, “I read billboards.”

Billboards have fascinated me ever since I started reading and whenever I was travelling. Billboards along the roads that had advertises of Jewlery, Life Insurance, Sachin Tendulkar with a purifier, Alia Bhatt and her Scooty with the infamous caption, ‘why should boys have all the fun?’

That line has always sticked to me. Why should I be mindful of watching eyes? I should have fun as per my will. So now, whenever someone makes me uncomfortable, I just pretend like they don’t exist. Has helped a lot many times, until someone poked my arm and told me that guy is talking to you.

I know that. I don’t want to acknowledge ‘that’.

Every billboard was read and reread, even the ones with no advertise. They just had their contact details. Everything needed to be read. Every word was big enough, ‘asking to be read’. (I mean, they were catching my attention)

No trip anywhere was complete without billboard reading. Panaji billboards were all color bursts with their event and casino invitations. They were the most fun to look at.

Reading them, I always tried to understand the meaning of complex words. Did I ever look for it in the dictionary? No.

Did I make up my own meanings? Yes.

Even if I did, I would understand some of it.

But now, I ride my own bike, so I rarely look at the Billboards. But whenever I get the chance, I catch a glimpse or two.