No matter how long I’ve been doing it, signing autographs always seems very surreal to me –especially when I was asked by a male listener to sign his… well, you know. That happened about 12 years ago, but it is still burned in my brain like an overcooked wiener on a hot grill. (Pardon the intended pun). Yep, radio listeners can be quite fanatical, and those hard-core “fans” can quickly turn broadcasters into “local celebrities” which is something I didn’t expect when I decided to jump into the world of radio. I still remember the first time a listener requested an autograph. The radio station had created these really embarrassing “head-shot” photos, and handed them out during a local parade we were participating in. A young woman ran up to the float I was on, and said “Maria! Pleeeeze sign my picture, me and my husband LOVE YOUUUUU!!!!” Ugh, I still hate that picture. My hair was frightening, and let’s not even talk about my eyebrows!
These days I’m signing more books than pictures, but I am still humbled by every single autograph request that comes my way.
Thanks for the unfortunate reminder that I should probably start practicing my signature for book signings next year. You can sort of make out a “T” and an “F” in mine, but the rest is just scribbles. I worked in the marketing department at a medical center for almost 8 years, and I knew it was a bad sign when the doctors would make fun of my signature.
Tawna