Who is the most interesting man on the Sunshine Coast? I bet a lot of folks that travel South along Trail Avenue into Sechelt would say Bob Maveety. Well actually they would say, “The Sign Guy.”
As office manager of the Sechelt Seniors Activity Centre, I have the daunting task of going mano a mano with Bob as he constructs the weekly message on one side of the SSAC sign while I manage the other side with boring operational stuff. And, no kidding, every time I’m out there, I get bombarded with passersby comments like, “I love your jokes” or “What’s your message today?” or “You are soooo funny.” Graciously I take a bow. Who knew Tuesday Morning Cardio Dance and Wednesday Evening Active Flow Yoga could be so tantalizing?
Why is this so relevant? Because it’s hard to be funny these days. Just take an inventory of all the professional comics in hot water; offending some group over something they said. It’s crazy (and not the good kind). Even a seasoned politician like Premier Horgan can’t get away with attempting some light comedy. When he said he doesn’t see a person in terms of the colour of their skin he joked, “I don’t see colour. I’m colour blind”. Critics were quick to pounce.
Today it is considered quite inappropriate to crack a Surrey Girl joke. Don’t dare opine about some of the lighter aspects of different cultures within Canada. Hijabs and helmets, crosses and Korans, lisps and liposuction. All taboo! I mean, seriously, is there anything or anyone left to have a little fun with . . .
Enter Bob Maveety. Week in and week out, he does not disappoint with his whimsical sayings that never seem to offend anyone…yet are so darn funny. Bob is truly a regional treasure; an aberration in these sensitive times and particularly apt at relating his brand of humour to the current events of the day.
So what’s been Bob’s funniest sign to date? Well, based on an informal poll, it may have been when Besos & Musk were competing for who had the biggest rocket. Bob’s mind-bending message: Don’t Have A Billion Dollars To Fly To The Moon? My Friend’s Got This Brownie Recipe . . .
