BEHIND THE MIKE

My wonderful wife Christine is the queen of all note writers. Over the past 45 years I made a living travelling around the world delivering speeches.

With young children at home, Christine was rarely able to join me, but I could always count on finding love notes from her hidden in my brief case or in my luggage. They were reassuring.

Her notes to me prompted me to communicate similarly to my children, but instead of writing them at home, I would send my notes to their school teacher. I always addressed them to the entire class.

“Dear class: This week I am speaking to the XYZ Company. They make widgets that your parents use every day. I’m in the grand city of ‘where ever’ and it is known for ‘whatever.’”

The teachers would actually keep a map on the wall that followed my travels, making a learning experience out of our communication. Notes to and from my family were the glue that kept us connected over the years.

Being the prodigious note writer that she is, Christine has a 45-year history of communication and conversations with anyone who ever sold us anything. God help the company that tries to pull a fast one on her. She even writes these people thank you notes for correcting the mistakes they themselves made.

Occasionally she unleashes her note communications on me. I’ll find notes like “mine” on food I find in refrigerator or “eat me” on something that is okay for me to consume.

She will put notes on my shoes “We do not belong here. Please put us away.” Sometime I feel like writing a note back to my shoes: Dear shoes, I put you here because I’m lazy and don’t really care where you want to sleep tonight.”

She writes notes to me on the utility bill… “Please put me in the checkbook.” I haven’t used a checkbook since the mid-eighties when I switched over to Quicken. Nevertheless, it’s a checkbook to her.

I always get positive, uplifting notes of “Have a great day” or “Hope you sell bunches” or “Hope you feel better today.” She knows how to leverage me. She is always drawing pictures of my twin grandsons, Yogi and Spike, or my two granddaughters, Ava and Ashley.

My three sons all used to tell me about the notes their mom would write to them when they opened their lunch boxes. They were always encouraging and supportive.

But it was opening the sandwiches that slowed them down. My family has done more to keep the Stretch-Tite and Saran Wrap people in business than any other single entity anywhere. They would spend three-fourths of their lunch hour trying to open their sandwiches.

I attempted to write a note to get me out of school from Mrs. White, my first grade teacher. Mind you, I did not account for the fact that she was our next door neighbor, but here’s the note to the best of my recollection.

“Mr. and Mrs. Aun, Ther will be no scool this wek so Michael can stay home and play games and watch TV. From Mrs. White (I’m his techer!)”

Since that note did not pass the legitimacy test, later in the year I tried to run the sting the other way around. I wanted to keep my lunch money to buy a girl a gift. So I twrote a note from my mom to the teacher. “Mrs. White, Michael dos not have lunsh mony this week. He can be xcused from lunsh.” Mrs. Aun (I the mom).

Notes take on a life of their own. My mother-in-law Rita Thiel was the master note writer, always writing sweet thank you notes for any kindness. I suspect that is where Christine got all her note writing skills.

The best notes are hand written immediately, always personalized, specific in nature, brief and sincere in thought.

Take the time to write a note to another person.