Snakes on a Plate

Yesterday, while stopped at a red light on State Street, I noticed something rather unique. A customized license plate. Now, I know, you are saying, Big Deal. Bumper stickers and personalized license plates are very common.

True. Some of them are even fairly amusing. Ones like:

I'm still a hot babe, but now it comes in flashes.

Dyslexics are teople poo.

Life is short. So buy the shoes!

Therapy is expensive. Popping bubble wrap is cheap. You choose.

Hang up and drive.

Funny, no? Still, I confess to being a license plate purist/snob and am mildly proud of the fact that I have never displayed my opinions, beefs, or values on the bumper of a car. It just seems so tacky and well, kinda needy.

But yesterday caused me to rethink my beliefs in that regard as the car in front of me inspired such curiosity and interest.

What made this plate so unique was that it had a snake border. Really. There were two sculpted gold snakes framing the thing. And they looked all Egyptiany. Like two agitated cobras, to be exact. The kind of thing you might see on a Sarcophagus.

Anyway, it was somewhat perplexing. What does having a license plate with snakes on it say about a person? The rest of the car looked mainstream, no jacked up tires and no guns visible from the window. Just your average, ho hum car, unremarkable. Yawn. But it did have a Utah license plate, did I mention that? Which makes it all the more intriguing as Utah plates are fairly predictable as you might expect a Utah plate cover to boldly proclaim, R U LDS 2, or Proud Parent of an Honor Student, or Families R 4ever.

So, what gives with the snake theme?

All day I have been puzzling over this.

Maybe they have a fear of snakes. Maybe their therapist suggested this was a great way to address their fear. Makes perfect sense, display whatever gives you nightmares on a license plate.

Or maybe they want to inspire fear in others. Maybe this person is really short and puny and exhibiting snakes makes them feel, well, bigger.

Or maybe they like to eat snakes, as I heard they taste like chicken.

Maybe it’s a religious thing. The vehicles occupants are snake handlers. Or snake worshipers.

Could be they are snakeologists, er, people who study snakes. For a living. And they want the world to know.

For all my speculation I will never ever really know the reasoning or meaning behind the license plate. But it has got me thinking. If I were the type to ever purchase and display such plates what would I choose? What symbol or graphic would define me as a person and reveal to my fellow road warriors what I am all about? Good introspection exercise for all of us, eh?

Then again, maybe the mystery surrounding the snakes is the point. Maybe it‘s meant to be a puzzle, sort of like a brain teaser.

My head hurts from obsessing about this. Really, I’m done. Here is what it really means and I'm so dumb why didn't I see it: Life is a snake. Period.

I hate it when I’m out deeped.