David Wilcox, North County sign guy

To the All-Knowing One: I frequently see a guy sitting at busy North County street corners, holding large black-and-white signs with cryptic messages on them, like, “Mutton or Wool?” or “Listen to Your Mother, Have You No Respect?” Today it said, “Dr. Seuss for President, His Spirit Lives On. ” He’ll stay in one spot for a couple of weeks and then move on. I call him “Sign Guy.” Is he some sort of performance artist, or maybe he’s just eccentric. I must know the truth. — Paul, Scripps Encinitas Hospital

Paul, meet David Wilcox, Sign Guy. And because “eccentric” and “performance artist” are not mutually exclusive, I’ll let you cubbyhole David however you like. According to the.. .um.. .oblique Mr. Wilcox, he just wants us to slow down and think about morality and the spirit and stuff like that. He carries his life in his duffle bag, claims no address, and has traveled around Southern California for ten years or so, propping his pithy koans at busy intersections, watching us drive by. He paints his own exceptionally well-lettered signs using supplies donated by friends he meets along the way. David’s a little — well, vague about his background, but he claims to be in his mid-40s, from the area, went to college around here, retired from “business life,” and now devotes himself to spreading the word. What word? Well, if I follow his line of thought (and I’m not sure I do), we all whiz brainlessly through life in our minivans, behaving like “jerks.” We need to start thinking right and doing right. And “Mutton or Wool?” is just the kind of question to get us on track.