While at a stop light, I saw a car ahead with a bumper sticker that took me by surprise: “WHO AM I TO JUDGE,” it read.
This took me by surprise because… aren’t bumper stickers often identity-claiming at best and highly-judgmental at worst? And pretty frequently? I wonder what motivated this driver to paste, “WHO AM I TO JUDGE” on their car.
Maybe it invites me to ask that question of myself. Or maybe it means, “Hey, don’t judge my driving!” Or “Just letting you know I’m not judging you and your terrible driving?”
Or maybe it just means what it means: Maybe it’s an introspective question.
And this has me wondering what other sort of introspective bumper stickers we could create for ourselves and others.
Perhaps…
“Am I being kind?”
“Am I living my values?”
“Have I ever apologized for that pain I caused you?”
“What would my dog say about me?”
“Did I turn off the oven?”
Possibilities abound. What introspective bumper stickers would you create?
— Renee Roederer
Smuggling Grace 