Signatures

Okay, here's something I don't understand.It just doesn't make sense to me.

We've all sent or received e-mails with a signature. My e-mail signature is a quote from a book that I read in seminary. My favorite signature was a Howard Thurman quote from a fellow seminarian, "Don't ask what the world needs, rather ask what makes you feel more alive and do that. Because, that's what the world needs, more people who are fully alive."

A close second, also from a fellow seminarian lifts up the words of Martin Luther. "It is through living, indeed through dying and being damned that one becomes a theologian, not through understanding, reading or speculation." Here here! Forward thinking revolutionary mind who took advantage of the printing press to make theology accessible to the masses. Also, these are the words that ring true from someone who has endured the agony and suffering that comes from acting on, and hold to their convictions. It reminds me of the lives of countless community organizers, or other revolutionaries that I know whose unwavering commitment to the possibility that the world can and will be better has cost them dearly, yet they have not folded.

Not everyone's signature is evocative though. Some are preachy, without being insightful. Some are confusing, and make you wonder why the person put them there, and perhaps even what you don't know about this person that is hinted toward with their signature quote. Most, however, are utterly forgettable.

I suppose that everyone assumes that the readers of their e-mail will have the same visceral response to these words that they had themselves, and are "evangelizing" in some way; either you will learn something, laugh about something, change your position on something, or get fighting mad about something. I don't know if most folks shoot for inspiring, or if most folks that I come across shoot for inspiring, or if "inspiring" signature quotes are what most catch my attention, but it seems like an e-mail signature quote is the least effective means of inspiring someone. Well, they don't inspire me.

Wanna know what does inspire me? YouTube videos!! Especially if they're placed on my Facebook Funwall. Whoo!!




But, none of that is what I'm talking about here. Email signatures, not signature quotes.

I just got an e-mail from Kathy Bates. "Kathy Bates" is what shows up in my inbox. When she calls me, she says, "Hello, this is Kathy." But, her e-mail signature says, "Rev. Kathryn F. (Kathy) Bates".

Now, initially that is completely unremarkable. So, why even remark? But wait!

If everyone who knows her professionally knows her as Kathy, her e-mail is set up as "Kathy", she introduces and self-references as "Kathy," why do we need the formal name in her signature with the nickname parenthetical reminder that she goes by the diminutive? Why not just write, "Rev. Kathy"??? If your name is Angelasuan, but you go by Angie in all of your relationships, then why not just write Angie in your signature? It's not a legal document. You're signing a electronic letter. That's it.

In fact, what I often see is these folks signing their e-mails with their name, only to be followed by the formal signature.

What the hell is that, huh? Here's what it looks like:

"Thanks,
Dick

Richard D. (Dick) Richardson
Title or agency or contact info or whatever"

This makes absolutely NO sense to me. None!

So, if you're one of these Dicks, can you help me understand why you do this? I really don't get it. If you're a Dick, then just be a Dick. Why do you want me to call you Dick, but remember that you're Richard, but parenthetically you go by Dick?

Silliness.