the problem with initials that spell a word

When I was in college it was "in" to have a personalized car tag with your initials and then 4UA to show everyone what football team (school) you support. So for my birthday during my sophomore year, my mom surprised me with a personalized car tag. Of course this thrilled me because I would never have to memorize my car tag ever again. This also thrilled me because I hoped it would confuse the parking police who kept giving me parking tickets....as in $400+ in parking tickets. (I had parking rebellion my freshman and sophomore year. But this is a blog post for another day.)

This car tag got even better when I bought a brand spankin' new car a month ago and it matched! Of course when I read my tag, I read it as S.E.W.4U.A. However, I didn't realize that I may be the only person on this planet who does that.

Not too long ago, I was pumping gas before I headed to Birmingham with a friend to go shopping. I had the brown dress on in this post. A lady pulled up to the gas pump on the other side of mine and got out of her car. She leaned over and said I had on a cute dress. I promptly thanked her. I thought that was the end, but it wasn't. Read on:

Lady: Did you make that dress?

Me: No, I actually just bought it at the boutique downtown by the train tracks.

Lady: Oh, well I thought you made it because of your car tag.

Me: (silence)

Lady: You know, SEW 4 U.

Me: Ohhh. No, those are my initials. Sarah Elizabeth Wiley 4 The University of Alabama.

Lady: Oh. (and goes back to pumping her gas)

I immediately got in my car and called my mother to tell her that apparently it looks like I made this dress and why did I spend so much money on it.

But it doesn't end here. I've had people that I work with admit they thought I sewed for the university. (Yes, the band uniforms.) And one of my cheerleaders thought my car was the home ec teacher's car because it said "sew" on it.

I think I may have to rethink this car tag if someone else comments on my sewing ability.