Courtesy: Pixabay
Okay, so who doesn’t like reading a good bumper sticker? They can bring a smile to your face when you are otherwise stuck in beach traffic, on the Interstate, in the middle of Summer, with no air conditioning. They are little strips of art on a mobile canvas. They provide split second moments of humor or escape.I also like trying to decipher vanity license plates. They are like puzzles you find in those magazines you buy to keep you entertained on a long plane flight. My vanity plate reads “C-Lions” in reference to my former career as a California Sea Lion trainer. I haven’t trained a marine mammal in 6 years but I still have the plate.
I have nothing against people who choose to decorate their Dodge pick-up truck with a cartoon of evil-grinned Calvin peeing on a Chevy logo. Or, those who broadcast their preferences for the next presidential candidate. Have at it. It’s your car, your canvas. I don’t like your preference in art so I will move on to the next gallery.
I don’t know about you, but I have never seen a bumper sticker on a Corvette, Porsche, or Jaguar. I’ve seen Yale, Harvard, Duke and other super-expensive school decals on the rear windows of BMWs and Mercedes Benzs. Yeah, I get it. You’re either rich or will be in debt for the rest of your lives. I prefer the Dodge Darts and the Ford Pintos with a sticker that reads, “Don’t laugh, it still runs.”
The Creatives who develop these slogans are anonymous. Who are they? I want to sit down and have a beer with the creator of “Moses Shoots, Jesus Saves” or ” Husband and Dog Missing. Reward for Dog.” What other play on words and brilliance does the “Visualize Whirled Peas” mastermind have in their repetoire?
We all know someone who fits the following description, “He who laughs last, thinks slowest.” I have to admit, the first time I read that, I had to think about it. Then I laughed out loud. “THAT’S ME!” Now, that’s entertainment. Which leads me to another one I like. “Ever stop to think and forget to start again.” My guess is, the people who create these ideas are the ones who colored outside the lines in Kindergarten. Good for you! Keep going.
Being an animal lover, my runner-up for favorite bumper sticker award goes to “My dog is smarter than your honor student” in a tie with “The more people I meet, the more I like my dog.”
<Drum Roll> Dim the Lights. And the winner of my all-time favorite bumper sticker is… “Wag More, Bark Less.” Not funny, but thought provoking. It still colors outside the lines. It’s humorous and philosophical wrapped into one nice, neat little phrase. It fits like an old hand-me-down sweater.
So tell me, what are your favorites? Let’s keep it clean here. Remember “Think Globally and Act Locally.” We are a friendly bunch here.
Be Kind. Be Thankful. Be Significant.
