Live Simply That Others May Simply Live
A lifetime of lessons from a bumper sticker.
I remember all of my parents’ cars over the years. They had, at different times, a Volkswagen square-back, a Volkswagen bus, and a Volvo wagon. My mom had a bumper sticker on the rear window of the Volvo that said, War is not healthy for children or other living things.
I remember thinking that was so obvious so why did she need to have that sticker on her car? I’ve always been into cars which doesn’t really match my personality. I have no interest in having a nice car. I drive a really beat-up 2007 Toyota. But I know cars and I recognize people by their cars.
My partner makes fun of me because I know every car on our block, who drives it, and if they have a bumper sticker. I always let her know when someone on our block has a new car (or a new bumper sticker). For whatever reason, I honed my car observation skills in childhood and they’ve stuck with me into my adult life.
Growing up in a progressive university neighborhood, there were lots of cars around with liberal bumper stickers Food Not Bombs, No More Nukes, One Nuclear Bomb Could Ruin Your Whole Day. These bumper stickers all made sense to me. But there were a handful of cars in my neighborhood that had the bumper sticker: Live Simply That Others May Simply Live. I’ve…
