I want to keep my blog organized, so from now on if I’m rambling about something in particular it’ll be categorized as “minutia minute”. Anyways, onward to the actual content…
I personally am not a fan of bumper stickers. I think they are distracting and not at all enhancing to the aesthetics of whatever vehicle they might be on. Have I seen some clever designs? Yes. Do I think they have artistic value? I suppose. It is only the general concept of bumper stickers that I’m not to keen on.
So when I’m in my car driving along the streets or the highway, whichever, I can’t help but point out bumper stickers that stand out from the “Obama ’08“s and the like. One time when as the car was pulling out of the Barnes and Noble driveway, I noticed the back of a pick-up truck parked adjacent to my car had a bumper sticker on that read “My Dog is Smarter than Your Honor Student.” And despite how rude it sounded out loud, I couldn’t help but chuckle earnestly (or perhaps because it was so biting as to suit my sense of humor?)
In any case, it had me considering for awhile the number of cars we see with bumper stickers that read “Proud Parent of Honor Student” or something of the sort. The first time I read one of those I inwardly go “aww, well that’s cute.” And now? It irritates me to enough to be one of those bitter things in life (within the same level as running out of toilet paper or being sprayed with really strong bad perfume at a department store). So, every time I see one a certain stimuli of annoyance just come out.
I should of course elaborate on my reasons, however reasonable they may be (you decide). Well there really is only one primary reason: it’s presumptuous and embarrassing…and I might have other words to describe it but I don’t feel like I should use them here.
It’s simply presumptuous that these people find it an amazing thing to make the honor roll and receive a bumper sticker for it. Wait so you’re saying it isn’t? No, I’m saying it is. But there will be some jaded people who don’t think it is and it’s not right to expect them to find it awesome and noteworthy, for them seeing stuff like this is an inconvenience. Many people think all babies are cute, I am not one of them. And on those occasions where someone shows their baby to me in an obvious attempt to fish some “oh-my-god-what-an-adorable-child” with some babblings of other baby noises, I feel very uncomfortable. These bumper stickers work the same way, on a much more excessively assuming scale.
So your son/daughter works hard and gets good grades in school. That’s wonderful! Really, it is. Do you have any right to feel proud? Of course you do. Go tell of it to your cousins, in-laws, your boss and your coworkers, your Starbucks barista, and everyone else you know. Putting it on a bumper sticker and boasting about it to complete strangers? That’s shameless and attention-seeking. You want us to compliment on how awesome you are for your child? You feel superior to everyone else who does not have a tacky bumper sticker on? Why should the rest of us care of how your child does, anyway? Plainly put, you’re not acting proud, you’re acting arrogant.
And seriously, kids, think twice about letting your parents use that bumper sticker. People like me will think your parents are snobs and dangerous people might target the car because they know a child may be in it. It’s lovely that you made the honor roll or joined an honor society, so go ahead and brag about it. You can brag about it. Your parents can’t, or rather, shouldn’t. If my parents were to put that on the car, I would be very embarrassed.
So that concludes my rant. Make sure not to show any of those honor student parent bumper stickers in front of me. Anyways, what do you guys think? Do you agree or disagree with my thoughts on this?
Oh and on a side note, I am writing a series of short stories or so. The first part is in draft process so be sure to check it out when it’s done!
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YQWYGQ2G
acidhearts 