Lots of Clues
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Are we more open now than people used to be? Do we tell more about ourselves to the public?

Are we less private? Less modest? Do we realize how much information we are giving?

Is this good or bad or neither? Probably just interesting.

As I remember, years ago, when you passed a house the only thing you could tell was if they liked to garden and if they kept up their property.

A long, long time ago if there were a death in the house there would be a wreath on the door.

If you needed bread there'd be a bread card in the window, a milk card was left for the milkman, so he could see from his truck without getting out.

The ice man's card would be hung in such a way that he could see how much you needed. All you could tell then is that the people drank milk and wanted bakery or ice.

During the war a sign was put in the window if you had a son in the service and hopefully not a gold star. During the Christmas holiday a few homes had candles in the window or lights on the porch.

We picnicked in the park, not in our back yard. Granted, we knew our neighbors better, or did we?

We looked out for one another but how many homes in your street did you ever go into? We would sit on our porches (each family usually on their own porch) and in the winter we'd go for months without contact.

Today we picnic in our back yards. We often include our next-door neighbors, especially if we're going to be noisy or need their yards to park cars.

We have wreaths on our doors year round according to the season. Flags are everywhere! Not only our American Flag, but also holiday flags, nationality flags and flags to indicate our interests.

We have figurines decorating our yards that have become an extension of the inside home. We let everyone know where we stand, like it or not.

Our cars have stickers and slogans, telling our politics, the schools we went to, that we have our grandchildren or pets aboard. We tell our favorite sport and which teams we follow.

We have vanity plates. Personally I would rather not have my license so easily remembered.

Again we have our Flag and our nationality views on the bumper. We advertise that we are retired and whether or not we are enjoying it. Sometime words of advice are given.

Italian horns, Irish shamrocks, babies first shoe, lucky red ribbons, Rosary Beads - you name it and someone is hanging it from their rear view mirror.

Bobblehead dolls of our favorite sports players and examples of our hobbies, interests and toys grace the shelf of the back window.

We wear shirts with all kinds of slogans and points of view on our chests and backs. We advertise the company that made and sold us the clothes. (How did the manufacturers pull this one off?)

Our caps have messages and team colors; even the sneakers we wear make a statement.

Even our religious views! We announce that we support the troops, the police, and free speech. Some sign's tell us they stop for squirrels and to toot the horn if we agree with them.

I always try to see the drivers and see if they fit the image their car portrays. Of course our political views go for the ride too.

You can look at the outside of a person's home or at their car and reveal a whole story about who they are and what they like and believe.

Try it; it's like playing detective with a whole lot of clues.

There are so many other ways we give ourselves away, think about it and then...

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Pat