SIGNATURE

How to develop an excellent signature???

“My journey of getting an Amazing signature”

During my childhood, I was always fascinated to see the elder people acknowledging various documents by signing them. Signatures were something else for me right from the beginning. And of course, there was always some sort of debate going on around as how one should develop his/her signature with a handful of suggestions and information. People having stylish English signatures were thought awesome and the one’s using Urdu was treated as Illiterate/out of fashion. Raised in such an atmosphere, today I will share my journey of developing my signature.

The very first and visible instance to encounter was our report card. In our school, it was a must to get parent’s signature on the results card within a week of result. So, we were used to of taking our school examination result to Abbu, who used to review it carefully, bestow some words of wisdom and finally sign the report card for re-submission in school. So this was an impressive exercise. “People having signature have loads of Wisdom and balanced lives”, I often thought while taking the signatures from Abbu. While many of my colleagues were too brave to do Jaali Sign instead of their parents; I could never find that courage within myself!

Cricket was our passion right from childhood as is for every other Pakistani kid. So in flurry of this passion, we used to waste a lot of time playing cricket; morning and evening in summer vacations. In order to contain us, my uncle told me a little story about a Guy who was a cricket freak. “His name was Akbar and he was just a mad lover of cricket. He was always playing cricket with least interest in studies. Waseem Akram was his ideal and he used to copy him in his play style. Akbar’s father used to advice him again and again regarding the importance of education but he hardly gave an ear to his opinion. One day Akbar managed to get an Autograph of Waseem Akram and proudly showed his father. His father just gave a pat to him and asked him to observe the Autograph which was given in English. He told him with utmost affection; Beta before becoming a successful cricketer, Waseem Akram became a good student and that’s why he is able to sign in English; same applies to you beta first take care of your studies and then you can run after your passion. Akbar understood the message and became a good student thereafter.” So my uncle was actually asking us to get serious in studies rather wasting time in cricket. This story was so touching. “Successful people are very good in their studies and able to sign in English” I thought deeply…

Then in free periods during school, we used to try different options of signature inking so many pages. Each friend tried to get most beautiful of signatures. During such exercises, I found out that some lucky alphabets have more beautiful signatures than the rest and my name’s S was one of them. Woow, I was so content knowing that. Then it was found out that one should make such a signature which is unique and nobody else in the world could copy it. So every now and then, I used to try different options to get ready for a Perfect signature for my future life. We used to help each other with different styles of signatures. I was so impressed by odd guys in the class who were full of ideas as regards to signature and became Gurus for us.

In Metric class, I somehow managed to get through with writing my simple name Sultan Shah in signature box of examination papers/cards. “I will make a good signature in Intermediate examination forms and college”, I thought. Meanwhile I went to one of my close acquaintance to get a guidance lecture on developing a good signature. “Beta, signature is always done in a single stroke without lifting your pen’s Nib; this is rule number 1. Secondly, there should be a straight line just beneath your signature and a DOT at the end of that line. Third important thing is the size of signature. Bigger size shows a confident and commanding personality and a small size depicts a lean and weak person” He told me all this and I was trying to memorize each thing to follow later on. “It’s a very scientific thing and psychologists may well analyze your personality by seeing your signature”…”Ahh how deep this all is proving out to be”, I thought for an instance. Nevertheless, I showed him various signatures which I had specially developed for my college life but he rejected all of them.“Your signature should be last name of Pir sahib we follow, apka signature tou yehi hoga beta”. “How could I know this thing?” a flash came in my mind. In short my friends, I finalized the last name of that Pir Sahib in English with a single stroke, big size, a line below the signature and a DOT at the end of that line. My signature was finalized!

I did that signature during my Intermediate college life. But soon I got myself into some more questions. People used to ask me what was the meaning of my signature and why I am not signing my own name. I used to explain them full science and logic behind my signature and they used to get impressed by the perfectly connected links behind my signature. I used to be a bit proud on my knowledge and sound approach. But honestly speaking friends I often used to ask myself “why am I signing name of this Pir Sahib instead of using my own name? This is my signature and I am doing it as regards to someone else’s thinking, why?” SShhhh…., I used to keep this WHY within myself!

Time was passing and I was about to get 18 years old; getting ready for making my NIC card. “I will do my own Genuine and Unique signature on my ID card with my own thinking; shall get rid of my confusions” I thought. So I prepared a final version of my own crafted signature with my own name Sultan shaped with some attractive curves difficult for anyone else to copy. Despite all this, Shahbaz was whispering in my ears: “Why do we not do our signatures in Urdu which is our national language? Why do we follow English everywhere?”Ahh, I slapped this thought and got ready for making my NIC.

So the given day, I went to Awami Markaz, Karachi for applying the National ID card for the first time. And when the time came for signing and the official asked me to sign. I do not know what happened to me at that time. I wrote a simple single stroke Sultan in Urdu and kept a line beneath it with a DOT at the end. When I came out and gathered my senses, I realized what blunder was committed. I was cursing myself to what I had done, how simple and easy anybody could copy this signature. And the biggest thing I did in Urdu. What a shame…But it was too late!

So thereafter, I somehow used to mange with that simple signature in Urdu for all communications. People still used to get surprised by the Urdu language and simplicity of my signature. But friends, let me tell you an amazing thing, I started observing a sense of applaud in the eyes of people who used to see my signature; many of them appreciated me of doing signature in Urdu, our national language. Some eyes said some unsaid words “Kaash hum ne bhee apna sign Urdu mein kiya hota, which is our identity and heritage”. One bank manager in UAE saw my signature and asked me, “woow this is your signature so simple”. “Yeah I know that it’s very very simple”, I replied. He said “No, I did not meant to mock you, actually I want to tell you one of our very rich client have his signature even easier than you”. Phhheewww I gained some confidence by this word. “Your signature is typically yours because nobody has such wavy shaky bad hand writing as yours” told one of my close friend laughingly. Hmmm, I never considered my bad hand writing which was indeed unique and difficult for anyone to just simply copy this signature of mine. Felt somewhat safe and relieved!

So in a nut shell, I gained confidence with this simple signature in Urdu and today I do it everywhere with pride. It keeps me connected to my national language, gives a sense of originality which could never be attained if I had signed in English. Everything is somehow linked and I can say proudly: “I may not change our hypocritical political and government system, but I can initiate CHANGE within my own domains; this is my very own signature in my own beloved Urdu language and the satisfaction is far beyond words”…