My New Darwin Fish

I’m a sucker for car decorations.

I used to have a science fish, and sushi fish, and a bumper sticker that says “It’s ok to NOT believe.” Lately the science fish was looking worn and broken (due to an accident, not vandalism), and I was just tired of the sushi fish. So I took them off.

For a few days I enjoyed the look of an emblem free car (besides my CFI and Darwin fish window stickers which are barely visible), but I can’t seem to resist putting something there. I thought a while about it–after all my previous emblems did make me think twice before driving co-workers out to lunch or something of that sort. It’s not the sort of thing I normally bring up at work.

I’m still a bit shy about proclaiming my atheism out in public around people I don’t know. I mean, the day of the Churchless Picnic with my Atheist Meetup I stopped by the store to pick up a few things for the picnic. My gregarious cashier asked about the picnic and how it must be a big one and who was it with and I mentioned something about it being with a “social group.” I mean, you just never know how the average-person-on-the-street is going to react if you tell them you’re an atheist or going to an atheist picnic. I just wanted to get my stuff and get on my way, not be stared at with incomprehension or asked to explain why I don’t believe in God. Or worse, to have the person get embarrassed and sorry that they made me reveal such a thing. Of course, the revelation may not faze them at all, or they may agree with me, but most of the time I’d rather not take the chance.

I’m not  quite so concerned about how drivers behind me in traffic will react.

Anyway, now I have a shiny new Darwin fish and a bumper sticker (one that I bought some time ago but didn’t use) that has John Lennon on it along with the words “You may say I’m a dreamer but I’m not the only one.”

I think it’s a nice combination.