Your 'do' campaign

Several years ago, billboards in my Central Minnesota town carried a one-word message: do. Do what? I wondered. The figure sharing the billboard space was performing some type of exercise, raking leaves, for example.

After that first siting, I knew I'd been zapped by a brilliant ad campaign, and would never be the same. Like others who are prompted to action by effective advertising campaigns, I wanted to---I had to---do something. And if I hadn't done something by the next time I passed by the giant message---strategically placed on a busy street, by the way---I was instantly slapped with a twinge of guilt. Oh, the feeling passed quickly enough. Nevertheless, the simple word had had its way with me.

Blue Cross-Blue Shield sponsored the do campaign. They may be pleased to know that, for at least one citizen, it was a success. It whispered to me, tsk, tsk, stop thinking about it, planning for it, looking for excuses to get out of it...just do it.

It so happens that their campaign cross-pollinated to my writing ambitions. As one of those unfortunate people who have a built-in anguish meter---translation: I anguish over taking that all-important first step---I now have a two-letter command to get the lead out. To keep it ever-fresh, I've printed the word with a hot pink Sharpie marker onto my own mini-billboard, a 3x5 card, and prominently placed it atop our family computer and workstation.

Hmm...that reminds me. One of these days, I really ought to dash off a thank-you note to Blue Cross-Blue Shield. What the heck---I'll just do it.