Buckwheat

So, I’ve been scrounging for more examples of Mom’s handwriting. I have some, but not nearly as many as I thought. I think I’ll have to raid some storages boxes next time I’m Up North. But I did, however, find this gem:




It’s my 9th grade Junior High School Certificate of Completion – I think a more appropriate certificate would be “I survived”, or “So glad to be getting the hell outta here.” Anyway, Mom was often called upon to calligraphize certificates and diplomas in the Lakeville school district. What was ironic is that her writing is so perfect, that most people assumed their names were just printed in a fancy font instead of hand-lettered. I remember Mom talking about how she thought calligraphy was a dying art form: “Computers can do what I do, why would people bother to have something hand lettered?” But computers can’t replace the human touch, and I have yet to find a font as lovely as Ma’s handwriting.

And I bet you’re wondering why it says “Buckwheat”? Remember the Saturday Night Live skit where Eddie Murphy was Buckwheat from the Little Rascals? Well, I thought that was HI-friggin-larious. I had the whole skit memorized and I would recite it word for word with every little endearing speech impediment. Soon I had T-shirts, Little Rascals videos, and my friends and family were calling me Buckwheat. Nome tids bid dugs; I bid Buhwee….O-TAY!