A Dickens of a Time

“IT WAS THE BEST of times, it was the worst of times…” reads the famous opening to Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. Depending on your point of view of the present, either statement could be somewhat, mostly or entirely accurate. In the aggregate — the plural sense of “you” and the nation at large — both are simultaneously true.

It’s not as if this paradox is new. I’m starting to get up there in years and for my entire life I’ve experienced the push-pull, the political shifts, and most of all, the constant, unending and seemingly unresolvable struggle of many ideas. Of course, the clash of concepts dates back to the dawn of civilization and the first disagreements between humans.

What can we do to deescalate some of the tension? One way is to take the advice of our Leadership and Mentoring columnist Heidi Tillmanns: to look back and reflect. “We can be grateful,” she writes.” We get to hit the reset button and try again.” The end of the year lends itself to taking stock and the holidays contribute to a sense of gratitude.

So, as always we shall see what the future holds: best of times or worst or somewhere in between. We asked the Signs of the Times Brain Squad which time frame represents their sign companies’ “best of times”. Their answers may surprise … but you’ll have to read on to find out. I don’t spoil endings.