Autographs

It's a funny thing. You learn to write so you can have a signature.

A group of letters put together in a certain way to define who you are.

And through the years, your signature, like your life, changes.

More than anything else, including your social security number or driver's license, the written words stating your name is your statement to the world.

You sign contracts with it, pay bills with it, even become famous with it.

But what captures this individual aspect of your life.

I remember having an autograph book in elementary school and getting all the kids to sign it. Later I noticed photographs that were of famous people placed on a wall with brief statements and their signatures. Then there was memorabilia, like baseballs or programs, which we begged the stars of the time to scribble their names on.

I notice it today. People who the media say we should admire are swamped with fans wanting their autograph, as if having a quick stroke smear will somehow encompass their fame onto us.

I found this page of autographs from my elementary school photos. I recognize some of the names, then noticed I had my parents and relatives to sign the page. I guess I just wanted to fill the space.

A parent's signature indicated they had seen the report card which was returned to the teacher. I'm sure my parents were surprised on teacher conference night to see what my REAL grades were, since I had artfully learned to duplicate the way they wrote their names.

Then I remembered the high school yearbooks. We would pass them around and have everyone within reach to sign them. If you still have yours, take a look.

Most comments are as bland as Facebook comments. "See you in school next year" or "Hope you have a great summer" were the majority of the autographs from people you have long forgotten. A few were meaningful and some even surprising in what they revealed.

Of course, some kids wrote crazy stuff and will be remembered for it.

But the one thing no one else can have is your signature. It states you believe in the fact or agree to the manner of living.

It is a shame, with all the electronic devices, that the simple art of writing your name is fading away.

I'll take mine with me.

Just sign here:______________________________________