We've been texting long before mobile phones

Well, dear readers, how is your day going? Are you a follower of the philosophy of CARPI DIEM or is life a tad tough these days and maybe you should TRY GOD? Readers who are experiencing a GR8DY know we should all LVLOLAF. Years ago when I taught fourth grade, we had a reading book which had a story about personal license plates. Over the years I have kept a list of personal, or sometimes called vanity, license plates. Although our younger generation has been texting messages for the last ten or so years, vanity license plates and their creative messages have been around for several decades.

Some plates express hobby choices. I have spotted cars with TYM2QLT, I SWM, YUR OUT, CBLSTN, HUNTNRG, and HNTNFSH. A friendly Canadian is proud to let us know she is a KANUCK, and a very thankful Army mom proudly displays THX2U. I SEDSO must be the parent of a teenager or two, and a dog owner who thinks his pet is an Einstein displays HI IQK9.

Some vanity plates display various occupations. Over the years I have spotted PASTOR, COWBY, WEDGDRT, FARMN, BRUSH EM, LCKYBLT, 2RFS, I DOC, and STR8LN. Two lucky mothers may have received new cars as generous gifts as I have seen 4MOM and also OUR MOM on their personal plates. A movie buff in another state has OB1KNOB and a local clergy reminds us of God’s love with WATAGFT.

Should some drivers find themselves in a huge parking area with other cars that match their own, they only need to spot the vehicle with their own special personal plate. The LAMBFAM, DANASUE, LTL OST, TRULV, SUZCUBE, GRM MARJ, and MRS PHIL have plates that are one of a kind. Recently I spotted a yellow truck whose very creative plate announced to me ICIMB4U. One of my favorites was on the car of an active mom who had too many meetings to attend. She apparently was not ashamed to display L8AGN.

As you may know our license plates are made by the folks at Deer Lodge, Montana, receiving free room and board compliments of our state. Vanity plates can have up to seven letters or numbers. A committee carefully checks for offensive messages. A mirror is used to check for messages printed in reverse which would be correctly read through a rear view mirror. Every message is also checked, making sure it is not something offensive in a foreign language.

Well, have a GR8DY and just FERPHUN see what creative vanity plates you can spot. I am seriously considering a test next week, matching car owners’ names with the correct vanity plate message. Extra credit will be given to the reader who can explain to me what ACKPHFT means. GODBLS RSV.