Day 98: Half Broken Things

Half Broken Things by Morag Joss. ISBN: 9780385339407.

As the story progresses, Jean and her compatriots become more duplicitous in their maintenance of the Walden Manor* lifestyle.  At one point they run out of heating oil and Michael learns to fake the owner's voice while Steph fakes his signature.  (Michael is Jean's make-believe son to go along with her make-believe lifestyle).  As Steph is figuring out the signature it describes the loops and whirls and how the owner gave up on making the non-initials legible.

I have to admit that I find signatures fascinating.  It took me years to perfect my signature.  I don't plan on changing it anytime soon, and I actually swore that I would never change my last name if it meant changing my signature.  It probably sounds like a stupid thing to be so pleased with, but a signature is a very important thing.  Many times it's the only indication of your personality on forms, business letters, etc.  Sure, there might be a little personality in a business letter based on your writing style, but for the most part it's the same damn letter you write to almost everyone and a copy is a copy is a copy is a copy.  But then there's that little flourish at the end where you get to dump the New Roman Times and feel the satisfying flick of ink on paper.

I love signing my name.  If I'm stuck in a meeting or bored, I will endlessly practice my signature.  I secretly hope to be famous someday so people actually ask me to sign things and then cherish my signature as much as I do.  Yeah, okay, it's weird, but at least I don't dress up as a giant cartoon character in order to get "positive" attention after leaving my parents' basement for the first time in three months.

I first started working on my signature probably in fourth grade, when my favorite teacher showed me an alternate way of writing cursive A's.  Instead of making roundy-apple A's, for my signature I use a peaked-swoopy A and cross it like you would a "t."  I then use the cross bar to sign the rest of MY first name (hahah, get it, my?  A...my.  It's mine, you cannot has).  Meanwhile when I was making the A I started it off with a curl that forms a C and that's where my last name goes, arcing up along the left side of the A.

And just so you know what the hell I'm talking about, I think I'll "sign" this post.  Although...it's an old signature, so no forgeries for you.

*This is the name of the house Jean is taking care of.