MAKING YOUR MARK.... OR MINE

BY DAN MILLER
(originally posted February 1, 2005)

On my talk show Miller & Company in the 1980's, every guest would sign my autograph book.
Such treasures, the signatures and the little notes many would write.

What's troubling is how many autographs I have from folks who'll never again sign their name for anyone.
Among them: Roy Acuff, Bill Monroe, Red O'Donnell, Gene Autry, Roger Miller, Tammy Wynette, John Bibb, Hank Snow, Grandpa Jones, Cab Calloway, Dinah Shore, Waylon Jennings, Bert Parks, Johnny Cash, John Hartford, Minnie Pearl, Eddie Rabbitt , Ray Blanton, Hoyt Axton, Susan Alamo, Big John Merritt, Dottie West, John R., Chet Atkins and, sadly, many others.

Of course, there are also signatures from people still very much alive.
People like Oprah Winfrey, Eddy Arnold, Al Gore, Jane Pauley, Willie Nelson, Dick Clark, Jay Leno, Barbara Mandrell, Jimmy Buffett, Tanya Tucker, Terry Bradshaw and lots more.

But as I went through those autograph books the other night, I realized there are quite a few names that I just can't read.... like the ones pictured with this column. I simply can't figure out who they are. Maybe you can help.

Anyway, that started me thinking about signatures.
As we grow older -- and our penmanship is no longer "graded" in school -- signing our name often becomes "scribbling our mark" rather than a literal writing of our name.
Some signatures are little more than a straight line.

When I was in school, writingh my name in text books and yearbooks consisted of deliberate, nicely formed letters.... easy to read.

But somewhere along the way, I even changed the way I form the capital "D" on my first name.
I don't recall when or why.

Which reminds me..... a year or two ago, my oldest daughter Jennifer -- whose handwriting looks nothing like mine -- asked if I'd like to see how PRECISELY SHE COULD FORGE MY SIGNATURE.
Yes I did.

She signed my name, and there before my eyes was a perfect replica of my signature.
"That's amazing", I said.
"Well", she replied, "that represents a lot of practice".

"Why", I asked naively, "Why would you practice such a thing?"

Both my grown daughters (now in their 30's) snickered a bit and inquired whether I recalled how incredibly few tests, excuses and report cards I was required to sign while they were in Jr. High and High School in California.

Ahh, the truth was out.

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