My adult goal was to get a vanity plate.
The opportunity presented itself when we purchased a new family car four-and-a-half years ago. Granted, the “car” was really a minivan. I had wanted my long sought-after custom license plates on a lifted pickup truck or a sports car. But beggars can’t be choosers, especially on our budget.
On the DMV’s online form, I entered three choices in order of preference. The second was HHG2G; the third was Desiato (because the van is black).
The day the plates arrived was seminal for me; I opened the envelope and saw they’d agreed to my first choice! Ecstatically, I removed the dealer-assigned ones from their screws and hung my beautiful replacements in their place. Soon enough, I drove out onto public roads and parked at public grocery stores. I felt conspicuous, but proud.
A few days later, in a parking lot, I noticed a fellow patron checking out the front of my momvan. I geared up for his inevitable question and what my happy answer would be.
“So, is that a sports jersey?” He asked. “Whose number is that?”
Flabbergasted, I did the only logical thing a non-sports-watching nerd of my caliber could do. I corrected him. “No, no. It’s from a book.”
“Oh.”
I should have noticed the loss of interest. But I didn’t. “Yeah, it’s the answer to life, the universe, and everything.”
“Oh.”
He wasn’t the first. Thanks to my fancy vanity plates, I’ve since learned that they do represent Jackie Robinson’s number. The internet says that (as of this posting) 163 NBA and ABA players have had it. So that’s cool.
I don’t get asked about my choice frequently, mostly because people don’t talk to each other the way they used to. Exactly two strangers of those who asked have heard of the book my plates are from; most others assume sports origins.
Slowly over time, I’ve forgotten the magic. I simply drive, and forget how much I might stand out with such a short insignia on my front and back bumpers.
Today, stopped at the end of a freeway offramp, I happened to look out the passenger window. An older man was pointing his finger in an upwards gesture. Since it was his index finger, I assumed good intentions and rolled down said window.
“What’s the 42 stand for?” He called. He was smiling in a friendly manner.
A split second’s thought didn’t save me. “It’s from a book,” I yelled back. “It’s the answer to life, the universe, and everything.”
His pleasant expression lessened a bit. “Oh. Okay!”
The light changed. I rolled the window back up, and off we drove.
I know I ought to just give up. When an interested party asks, I ought to say, “It’s Jackie Robinson’s number, of course. I love sports! I sports so hard; don’t you?” A part of me just can’t. It’s a small, stubborn part; but it just can’t let the literary decline of America be somebody else’s problem.
chelowens.com 
Brilliant! We have a real thing in the U.K. for personalised number plates and the shorter the better, particularly in London and wow they can be expensive too! Great post! Katie x
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Thanks! Sounds like I need to move to London, though I’m certain “42” is taken already.
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Oooh yes! Move here … although our weather is a bit grim in winter … too much rain for my liking!
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I’ll save and settle on a visit.
…when it’s not raining. 😀
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Good idea! And definitely don’t go to Scotland … if it’s not raining, it’s about to rain!
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True. Good thing I know where my towel’s at.
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It’s so expensive here they say it’s cheaper to change your name legally to match whatever the plate says. 🙂
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As fond as I am of my name, I think it’s a better fit than a number would be. 🙂
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Oh my goodness!! 😀
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You are a genius adrift in a nation of morons 😉
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Or it’s perfectly normal paranoia. Everyone has that. 🙂
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I thought everyone knew the meaning of life?
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*sigh* I guess they’re still searching.
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The second I read your second and third choice I knew what your first choice plate was. I love it, and the whole rest of your post made me grin. Wear it with pride, and don’t give up telling people where it’s really from!
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All right. If you say so. 🙂
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Definitely keep telling others it’s a book. One day you’ll find somebody who understands!
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🙂 All right. I’ll do it for the one out of twenty who’ll listen.
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I knew exactly what you were talking about the moment you were describing it. It is sad that so many people do not or do not care. You are among friends though. Don’t forget to bring your towel 😉
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❤ I feel so great hearing that! And, from someone who shares my name, too.
Besides keeping a towel in the back, I really want to get a license plate holder that says, "Beware of the leopard."
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Haha that would be excellent. I was not so creative. My license plate cover on my new minivan says: Writer’s inspiration comes from all of you. I have had stickers of the TARDIS and other things on my car before, but it always seems like it gets cluttered so quickly.
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🙂 We never do stickers. I DO like a lot of them, though, like TARDIS references. I like your inspirational one!
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Thanks 🙂 I am thinking of getting vanity plate that reads “Author” (or some version of) once I get my first book published and a few sold 🙂 Though, yours makes me wonder if that is too simple.
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How about “literary genius and author extraordinaire” ?
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Haha a bit long, and not sure I would be able to hold that one up. But thank you for the praise.
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Oh sure. There’s always abbreviating. 😉
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Ya, trying to figure out how to make it still make sense
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GR8TWRTR?
#1AUTHOR?
DABOMB?
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Lol good ideas. I will put them down as possibilities for when I get to that point. So far i still need to WRITE the book🤣
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*sigh*
SAMEBOAT
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You will get there 🙂
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