I'm back. After a bit of a sabbatical to tend to personal matters I have returned. I spent the vast majority of my time the last two weeks studying for my pharmacy tech certification exam. I am pleased to say that preliminary results indicate I have passed. I will get the official results in about a week and a half and then I will be able to officially call myself Tony Counsil, CPhT. Titles make me feel extra important. Thursday was the exam but Friday was also a big day for me.
As loyal readers to my blog will know I regularly refer to ESPN's Bill Simmons, a.k.a. the Sports Guy. I would consider him my favorite columnist on the web due to my unhealthy addiction to sports and his witty, acerbic take on them. He recently wrote a book which chronicles the history of basketball. While I am not finished with it yet it has proven to be excellent so far and I look forward to the remaining pages.
Mr. Simmons was in Anaheim signing his book for fans. Being that I have read every word he's written over the last 8 years as well as listened to every podcast he has done there was no way I was missing it. I lined myself up with 400 or so of my closest friends, eagerly anticipating a chance to see the man who has taken up more of our lives than anything except working and sleeping. To say that I walked away from the experience impressed would do a great injustice to the afternoon.
This was my first book signing that I have been to so I was a bit unsure of what to expect. I have heard that many authors will sign his or her name only. Some will write the same small, generic phrase or greeting in all books. I have even heard stories of authors not bothering to look up at the very people who are consuming their product. Bill Simmons did none of the above. As each person stepped up to the table at which he was sitting, he greeted each one with a smile and a kind word. He then proceeded to strike up a short conversation, noticing something about what the fan was wearing or giving a genuine answer to a question a fan might have asked. Only after about 20 or 30 seconds would he begin to write. The message? Something that related specifically to the conversation he had just had. At least that was my experience.
Standing in line for a while before the signing began, I had struck up conversations with a few of those in line. After we had our books signed we compared our experiences and all came away with the same impression: Bill Simmons was the greatest. For each of us he had written something that had pertained to the brief conversations we had with him. Our only conclusion was that he had done this for each and every person in line. To do this for a select few fans would have been nice. To do so for the 400 or so that showed up was downright impressive. He seemed to be truly appreciative for the support of his book and rewarded those of us who took the time to show up with something personal and treasured.
I may go to other book signings and be equally impressed with those authors, who for all I know may end up being even more appreciative and humble. But there is something about the first time you do anything that makes it extra special, and I cannot imagine walking away feeling any more elated than I did last Friday. So often we create heroes and idols in our minds only to meet those heroes and walk away thoroughly unimpressed. I am glad to say that my expectations were greatly exceeded and my signed copy of The Book of Basketball will be a prized possession until I am too senile to follow a basketball game on TV. Or on whatever people are watching games in 2058.
As loyal readers to my blog will know I regularly refer to ESPN's Bill Simmons, a.k.a. the Sports Guy. I would consider him my favorite columnist on the web due to my unhealthy addiction to sports and his witty, acerbic take on them. He recently wrote a book which chronicles the history of basketball. While I am not finished with it yet it has proven to be excellent so far and I look forward to the remaining pages.
Mr. Simmons was in Anaheim signing his book for fans. Being that I have read every word he's written over the last 8 years as well as listened to every podcast he has done there was no way I was missing it. I lined myself up with 400 or so of my closest friends, eagerly anticipating a chance to see the man who has taken up more of our lives than anything except working and sleeping. To say that I walked away from the experience impressed would do a great injustice to the afternoon.
This was my first book signing that I have been to so I was a bit unsure of what to expect. I have heard that many authors will sign his or her name only. Some will write the same small, generic phrase or greeting in all books. I have even heard stories of authors not bothering to look up at the very people who are consuming their product. Bill Simmons did none of the above. As each person stepped up to the table at which he was sitting, he greeted each one with a smile and a kind word. He then proceeded to strike up a short conversation, noticing something about what the fan was wearing or giving a genuine answer to a question a fan might have asked. Only after about 20 or 30 seconds would he begin to write. The message? Something that related specifically to the conversation he had just had. At least that was my experience.
Standing in line for a while before the signing began, I had struck up conversations with a few of those in line. After we had our books signed we compared our experiences and all came away with the same impression: Bill Simmons was the greatest. For each of us he had written something that had pertained to the brief conversations we had with him. Our only conclusion was that he had done this for each and every person in line. To do this for a select few fans would have been nice. To do so for the 400 or so that showed up was downright impressive. He seemed to be truly appreciative for the support of his book and rewarded those of us who took the time to show up with something personal and treasured.
I may go to other book signings and be equally impressed with those authors, who for all I know may end up being even more appreciative and humble. But there is something about the first time you do anything that makes it extra special, and I cannot imagine walking away feeling any more elated than I did last Friday. So often we create heroes and idols in our minds only to meet those heroes and walk away thoroughly unimpressed. I am glad to say that my expectations were greatly exceeded and my signed copy of The Book of Basketball will be a prized possession until I am too senile to follow a basketball game on TV. Or on whatever people are watching games in 2058.
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