During the Spring of 2020, the world went into a frenzy as COVID took hold. Thousands were dying of the disease, and panic set in as people didn’t know how the world would recover.
During this hectic time period, I lost my father. He was a great man who made a small fortune peddling cotton candy at the local amateur hockey league. As a man of the people, he was loved by almost everyone he interacted with. Unfortunately he died intestate meaning he had no will or established trust. To honor his wishes, I was forced to open probate.
I first met with a lawyer who’s advertisement I heard on AM radio. He claimed to specialize in these types of things so I thought I’d try him out. I walked into his office for our meeting and immediately walked out.
I walked out as a gut reaction. Why? The font. His nameplate: Helvetica. The legal document drafted on his desk: Times New Roman. His diploma hanging on the wall: Arial Narrow. This was not the way I was going to remember my father and carry out his will.
My father always had a personal touch in everything he did. When selling cotton candy, he would always chat up his customers. “How’s little Charlie doing?” he might say. Or maybe he’d ask “Did you get out of that speeding ticket?” or “Why didn’t I see you in church on Sunday?” He took pride in knowing his customers and they loved him for it.
So when I saw that bland, uninspiring text, I knew I had to walk out. When I met with my new lawyer, I immediately demanded we use Comic Sans. Why? Comic Sans has that personal touch, almost like it’s written by hand. It’s exactly what my father would want.
My new lawyer started to explain why he couldn’t write it in Comic Sans. I immediately told him that the font wouldn’t affect the legality of the document. Eventually he acquiesced and within an hour, we had the document written up, printed, and signed.
I looked at the signed document. It was almost like my father had written it himself. I closed my eyes as a single tear landed on the will.
This piece is dedicated to my late father. Rest in power, Glendon Smithport Sr.
