Making the grade

When I was in fourth grade, Mrs. Fenken gave me a D in penmanship. If she had seen my handwriting yesterday, she would have given me a C+.

I had to sign about 10,000 pieces of paper yesterday: durable power of attorney, medical power of attorney, living will, and an assignment of the judgment I won against evil Dave the contractor. Just placing the pen in my right hand was a challenge; my left hand, which lately has a problem with  underperformance, kept dropping the pen before it was strategically placed in the right. Self-consciously, with everyone looking on (and smiling indulgently which didn't help), I finally managed to position the pen properly, only asking for assistance in adjusting my thumb. Then page after page after page after page  was presented for my signature; I acquitted myself creditably if not completely legibly. It has been some time since only my hand was involved in the act of writing -- I use the entire arm.

Certainly deserving of a better grade, don't you agree? An A for effort, right?