Months ago I ordered a set of personalized license plates for my vehicle. Here in California that is not an extraordinary thing. Californians were the first to come up with the idea and have been personalizing their cars for years. Not wanting to stand in line for hours and deal with an uninterested DMV employee, I ordered my plates on line. The web site indicated it would take six to eight weeks and that I would be notified when they arrived at the local DMV office. I guess John Q. Inmate, at San Quentin, is backed up with license plate orders.

So, yesterday morning, with notification in hand, I got an early start for the DMV. My plan was to be one of the first in line outside of the office prior to opening. This, I reasoned, would guarantee a minimal stay and place me ahead of the hordes. The first set back was pulling in behind an old blue hair that not only couldn’t read the posted speed limit sign but probably couldn’t see her speedometer or me in the rearview mirror. Several miles later and one left turn and I was able to leave her in my dust!

Ah, freedom at last! The open road! Right. School traffic ahead and the speed limit reduces to 25 mph. Traffic backs up, I move at a crawl but not to worry as I have left early enough to accommodate for this second delay. Past the school and things open up again and then quickly shut down. The traffic light, 1 ½ miles ahead, is on red flash. It is the morning rush hour and this alone adds 15 minutes to my ride.

Through the flashing traffic light, down the road I go! However, at the next light where I turn left, a police cruiser traveling the other direction, turns in behind me and I of course, being a retired officer and never inclined to break the speed limit, slow to 35. He stays with me almost the rest of the way.

Finally, arriving at the DMV at what is now 20 minutes after the opening hour, I quickly park as close as possible. This is not a problem as the parking lot is fairly empty. Cool! Not many people here today! Grabbing a screw driver I rush to the rear of the vehicle where I remove the plate and then rush to the front and do the same with the front plate. With the notification and my old plates in hand I briskly walk to the front door of the DMV, which is closed. It seems they are closed one Monday each month and I have managed to pick May’s Monday. Let’s not go into what I said next.

So, today, this morning, without much fanfare, I again made my way back arriving just after opening. I stood in line only a few minutes and several minutes after that had my new, specially ordered, personalized license plates. I affixed the month and year tabs and then carefully attached the plates to my vehicle. Standing back I grinned from ear to ear with pride. These were special. They meant something important to me. I waited over two months to get them. Even went through some trials and tribulations to pick them up but now they were on my vehicle and I felt proud about that.

Pride is important. The things in our lives worth having are worth working for, worth waiting for and worth taking pride in, the way we conduct ourselves in public or with family and friends. It is important to take pride in our teams and our schools. It is important to be proud of our heritage, traditions and way of life. What you do in life many times may only matter to you but if you do it with pride, then everyone else will at the very least respect you for it.

Okay guys, there are only 40 days to camp! And only 14 days until June 1st when all registration forms and deposits are to be in. Welcome to the recently registered players for LinemenInc 2005, from the following schools: Don Bosco Tech, Rosemead, CA, El Diamante High, Visalia, CA, Leland High, San Jose, CA, Santa Ynez High, Santa Ynez, CA, and Mark Keppel High, Alhambra, CA. See you in June!