Bumping into a Stranger
Bumping into a Stranger
Hard as it may be to believe today, there was a time when the owner of the car in front used to be a stranger. Not anymore. Today, I can tell you everything about him or her in a few seconds - give or take a few. I would tell you what he does for a living and what he prefers to do in his free time. I know whether she is single (but looking) or married (but available, if I am rich). I know if he prefers blondes over redheads and smartphones over laptops. I know whom she voted for and why. I may even know her views on gun control, abortion, equal rights, and nuclear disarmament. Oh yes, last but not the least, I can tell you who is on board, who is at the wheel, and who is in the trunk. And to know all these, all I have to do is to read.
That is read some half a dozen or so bumper stickers that crowd the rear end of his car. Even if the bumper of his car is not large enough to display all his opinions and love/hate lists, that is still not a problem. These messages can be hung from his window or inscribed on his vanity plate.
There are moral messages (Think Globally, Act Locally), small annoyances (I may be slow but I am ahead of you), declarations (Keep your law off my body), and provocations (Yes, I own this road). I wonder if there is a school of psychology that studies the connection between selection of bumper stickers to the mental health of the car owner.
I am a compulsive bumper sticker reader. I read them all. In fact, I slow down or even stop in the middle of the traffic to spot any news ones. Of course, I have to admit that these days it is getting difficult. These little messages to have taken over many other areas of our lives or so it seems. In fact, they are everywhere. They are on coffee mugs, and T-shirts; on bookmarks and desk calendars; on key rings and wall plaques. And like a toddler's presence in the room, they are hard to ignore. Every time I walk into anyone's office or kitchen, I feel as if I am bombarded with number of these little messages. And I feel like I have known the occupant of that office for a lifetime.
I think that there must be a reason why we have all decided to turn our possessions into billboards for our views. Through these mini billboards we amuse and inform, inspire and instruct, annoy and arouse. But most importantly, we express. We express ourselves quick.
And that is important. In the fast paced life that we all live, we have learned to be quick communicators. Our careers are on fast tract, our meals are in microwave and our dreams are on hold. Gone are the days of getting to know some one slowly. Gone are the days of a leisurely chat over a cup of coffee with a new neighbor on a rainy afternoon. For us, any introduction has to be quick and snappy.
So we bump into each other through these little messages. At the end of a hard day, we smile a little when we read a sticker on a car that confirms our belief. In a new job, we feel a little closer to that stranger in the next cubicle when we read his coffee mug. On a jogging track, we make a new friend when we read his T-shirt. We feel that in our different pursuits we are not alone.
Our generation may be remembered for bringing this art of expression into everyday life. Because anything that we are ever going to feel in our entire life is out there in some Hallmark store. All we have to do is to find the time and space for it in our busy day and busy life.
Hard as it may be to believe today, there was a time when the owner of the car in front used to be a stranger. Not anymore. Today, I can tell you everything about him or her in a few seconds - give or take a few. I would tell you what he does for a living and what he prefers to do in his free time. I know whether she is single (but looking) or married (but available, if I am rich). I know if he prefers blondes over redheads and smartphones over laptops. I know whom she voted for and why. I may even know her views on gun control, abortion, equal rights, and nuclear disarmament. Oh yes, last but not the least, I can tell you who is on board, who is at the wheel, and who is in the trunk. And to know all these, all I have to do is to read.
That is read some half a dozen or so bumper stickers that crowd the rear end of his car. Even if the bumper of his car is not large enough to display all his opinions and love/hate lists, that is still not a problem. These messages can be hung from his window or inscribed on his vanity plate.
There are moral messages (Think Globally, Act Locally), small annoyances (I may be slow but I am ahead of you), declarations (Keep your law off my body), and provocations (Yes, I own this road). I wonder if there is a school of psychology that studies the connection between selection of bumper stickers to the mental health of the car owner.
I am a compulsive bumper sticker reader. I read them all. In fact, I slow down or even stop in the middle of the traffic to spot any news ones. Of course, I have to admit that these days it is getting difficult. These little messages to have taken over many other areas of our lives or so it seems. In fact, they are everywhere. They are on coffee mugs, and T-shirts; on bookmarks and desk calendars; on key rings and wall plaques. And like a toddler's presence in the room, they are hard to ignore. Every time I walk into anyone's office or kitchen, I feel as if I am bombarded with number of these little messages. And I feel like I have known the occupant of that office for a lifetime.
I think that there must be a reason why we have all decided to turn our possessions into billboards for our views. Through these mini billboards we amuse and inform, inspire and instruct, annoy and arouse. But most importantly, we express. We express ourselves quick.
And that is important. In the fast paced life that we all live, we have learned to be quick communicators. Our careers are on fast tract, our meals are in microwave and our dreams are on hold. Gone are the days of getting to know some one slowly. Gone are the days of a leisurely chat over a cup of coffee with a new neighbor on a rainy afternoon. For us, any introduction has to be quick and snappy.
So we bump into each other through these little messages. At the end of a hard day, we smile a little when we read a sticker on a car that confirms our belief. In a new job, we feel a little closer to that stranger in the next cubicle when we read his coffee mug. On a jogging track, we make a new friend when we read his T-shirt. We feel that in our different pursuits we are not alone.
Our generation may be remembered for bringing this art of expression into everyday life. Because anything that we are ever going to feel in our entire life is out there in some Hallmark store. All we have to do is to find the time and space for it in our busy day and busy life.
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