This presentation aims to provide a basic understanding of the range of contexts in which protein sequence alignments are used and are useful, focusing on the importance of sequence similarities and differences, and what they tell us. Overall, the objective is to offer different perspectives and insights into the meaning of alignments, and to convey an understanding of the use of metaphor and its role in interpreting alignments. The talk is accompanied by a hands-on practical analysis using the Utopia sequence analysis suite.