NEAL CONAN, HOST:
Taking a look forward to our extreme age, a lot of our pals and associates had been confronted with a predicament. Smartly, how do you are saying adios? For many people, discovering the best phrases can also be tough. And when inspiration fails and panic units in, neatly, we frequently flip to the lengthy racks of greeting playing cards. So we’ve requested former Hallmark greeting card scribbler and writer of the YouTube form “Greeting Card Emergency” David Ellis Dickerson. He’ll fix us in a life. However what’s the most efficient adios card you ever were given? 800-989-8255. E mail us: communicate@npr.org. David Ellis Dickerson, with us right here in Studio 42. Great to have you ever again at the program.
DAVID ELLIS DICKERSON: It’s a good-looking to be again, Neal.
CONAN: And I’ve to mention, widely talking, there looked to be two sections. Hiya, congratulations, you’re shifting on, or, oh, I’m so sorry.
DICKERSON: Proper, proper. There’s the you were given fired and, , we’re no longer getting to adieu, otherwise you’re going again to college. You’re following your goals. Proper. Yeah.
CONAN: Precisely. While you left Hallmark, did any one despatched you a card?
DICKERSON: Oh, in fact. Their playing cards…
(LAUGHTER)
DICKERSON: Population purchase the playing cards a future in go, it sort of feels like. We all know the entirety previously. I used to be additionally considering – every other tournament that occurs a accumulation when crowd have to mention adios are brief gigs, like tv or theater or hanging in combination one thing like that, camp. And so it’s a fascinating problem, as a result of so frequently, the adieu playing cards you get are such things as, it used to be superior operating with you. We’ll adieu once more, , I’m taking a look ahead to – however all of them appeared to pass over – what I like easiest about this unutilized global is that there’s deny goodbyes, ?
I’m on a street excursion at the moment, a cross-country, and I’m staying with pals I’ve all of sudden been ready to stick in contact with, 10, 15, two decades. There – in some way, each adios is brief. And I used to be hoping to look extra playing cards that might – that replicate that.
CONAN: Have you ever unmistakable any?
DICKERSON: I don’t store at card shops that a lot anymore…
CONAN: Oh, actually?
DICKERSON: …as a result of I’m in my very own head.
(LAUGHTER)
DICKERSON: Actually, maximum greeting playing cards writers don’t purchase greeting playing cards. They incrible their very own.
CONAN: They incrible their very own?
DICKERSON: Yeah. However, , I know that the majority card shops progress directly into the clash zone. You realize, they would like probably the most common roughly card, and that’s in most cases getting to be trade, , we’re sorry to adieu progress.
CONAN: Or plants at the preserve, and…
DICKERSON: Precisely. Sure.
CONAN: The good factor – neatly, I’m going to mention – , there’s that section, crowd who’re long past endlessly…
DICKERSON: Sure.
(LAUGHTER)
CONAN: …however they’re no longer getting to learn anymore playing cards.
DICKERSON: Precisely, precisely. In some way, you’ll type of pass over on a card like that. You’ll say no matter you need, and it’s no longer getting to topic.
(LAUGHTER)
DICKERSON: That in truth strikes a chord in my memory one of the vital playing cards I had in thoughts when I used to be fascinated about a card for this, would – a card that might say one thing like on this, , Fb pace, , how are you able to ever actually say adios? And at the within, it might say one thing like, however should you learn how, please let me know, as a result of I’ve were given stuff I want to do.
CONAN: It’s even more strange that radio, which you recall to mind as this ephemeral medium, that, , you place it at the breeze, it is going out. You watch for the opinions from Alpha Centauri.
DICKERSON: Yeah.
CONAN: The reality is, all of these items is archived at the Internet. All of these items goes to be round endlessly.
DICKERSON: Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. That’s wonderful. Smartly, that used to be the alternative – as a result of my thoughts going to a systematic form, as neatly, and I used to be fascinated about the truth that – oh, I had one concept that stated one thing like: Subject can’t be created or destroyed. Each particle in our frame is immortal and can live to tell the tale.
(LAUGHTER)
DICKERSON: This is a medical truth we can meet once more. And on within it says: We’ll almost definitely have doing jobs, regardless that.
(LAUGHTER)
CONAN: That’s a excellent one.
DICKERSON: Yeah, thank you.
CONAN: Yeah. I love that one. I love that one. Let’s progress to Linda, and Linda’s at the order with us from Longmont in Colorado.
LINDA: Hello, there.
CONAN: Hello, Linda.
DICKERSON: Hi.
LINDA: Hello, Neal. I’ve been on 4 occasions, 5 together with now, and I sought after to come up with one of the vital easiest adios playing cards ever and simply to inform you that we adore, love, love you, and we’ll pass over you. And NPR’s unstable for canceling the display.
CONAN: Oh, neatly, thank you. That’s very roughly you to mention, Linda, and we respect that.
(LAUGHTER)
CONAN: However come on, we’re getting to need to call for a negligible extra creativity from our target market than that. You were given to let us know the most efficient card you ever were given, or you’ll incrible one. All proper?
LINDA: Thanks. We adore you, bye.
CONAN: Thank you very a lot, Linda. That is from Pat who’s writing us from St. Louis. When I used to be 15, I started operating for my native land newspaper. My task used to be vacay rotation, so I labored in each branch as crowd took their era off. On my rotation within the trade branch, I had what used to be as much as next my maximum embarrassing life. Once I close the toilet door, the doorknob fell off on either side, locking me in. The trade supervisor and I needed to fit our respective knobs to distant me. Oh, my. I sought after to die. Once I left the branch a few weeks nearest, they gave me a adieu card, thanking me for my paintings. The greeting stated, we’ll hold an evening brightness on within the potty for you.
(LAUGHTER)
CONAN: Oh, my. She is going on to mention TOTN people, will pass over you. Very best needs on your moment endeavors. However that’s really nice.
DICKERSON: Oh, that’s glorious. Sure. In order that’s one thing you couldn’t incrible a card for although you deliberate it forward of era, ?
CONAN: And that’s possibly why that particular card – should you’ve were given anyone who’s ingenious to your branch, that’s actually one of the best ways to progress versus, , taking place for the pre-printed subject matter.
DICKERSON: Oh, completely. I cruel, I’m a bulky fan, in fact, of greeting card firms and all of that. However this present day, specifically in a type of post-paper folk, the rationale you ship a card is as a souvenir, as a token, as one thing you place at the fridge, as one thing you hold at the mantle. And so you need it to be non-public, one thing that resonates, and one of the best ways to try this is with a personalized touch, a private comic story just like the knob. That’s actually humorous, the night time brightness.
CONAN: And there’s the alternative fascinating facet of this. Such a lot of this seems to be in French.
Oh, actually.
Yeah. Bon voyage, adios, au revoir.
DICKERSON: Oh, proper.
(LAUGHTER)
CONAN: A bientot.
DICKERSON: I hadn’t considered that. You’re proper. That’s humorous. The language of international relations could also be the language of claiming see you later.
(LAUGHTER)
CONAN: Smartly, possibly they’re hooked up. This electronic mail from Gretchen in Oshkosh. See you doesn’t cruel you’ll be forgotten. It method you’ll be ignored.
DICKERSON: Oh, great.
CONAN: That’s no longer too malicious.
DICKERSON: That’s really nice, yeah.
CONAN: Let’s see if we progress then to – that is Ethan. Ethan with us from Brandnew Albany in Indiana.
ETHAN: Hello, Neal.
CONAN: Walk forward, please.
ETHAN: Yeah. Experience your display such a lot.
CONAN: Thanks.
ETHAN: Every time I – I went out to college in Northern California, and I were given a card from a actually excellent good friend. And the cardboard simply had a unmarried pine tree on it, coated in snow, and it stated, whilst you’re unwanted, understand that you’re by no means actually unwanted, apart from you might be unwanted, so very unwanted.
(LAUGHTER)
ETHAN: And it roughly completely encapsulated what you’re speaking about. It used to be like, there aren’t any actual goodbyes. I suppose you’re no longer getting to die, so come again and don’t concern about it.
(LAUGHTER)
DICKERSON: I love that.
CONAN: So very unwanted.
DICKERSON: It’s so glorious. It’s fascinating, pronouncing there’s deny goodbyes. A chum of mine, I take note, simply the alternative age posted on Fb, pronouncing she used to be having a coarse age. And 20 crowd right away chimed in to cheer her up, and he or she stated, my God, that in truth labored.
(LAUGHTER)
ETHAN: And to me, it’s wonderful what only a negligible little bit of positivity and humor can do to aid you get via one thing.
DICKERSON: Amen to that.
CONAN: Ethan, thank you very a lot.
ETHAN: Thanks very a lot.
CONAN: Let’s see. We progress then to – that is John, and John’s at the order with us from Redding in Pennsylvania.
JOHN: Neal, you’re stunning, guy. I’m simply getting to pass over you such a lot.
CONAN: Thanks.
JOHN: However, yeah, it’s superior to even get at the breeze. So for me, the theory used to be, what can I or what have I heard that actually ambitious me to take a look at this in a favorable approach. As a result of when you were given – after they took the blow their own horns the breeze, I were given very envious. And Clint Cloudy wrote a track referred to as “Leaving A Better Man.” And the refrain is I’m retirement right here a greater guy, having identified you this fashion. Issues I couldn’t do prior to, now I do know I will, and I’m retirement right here a greater guy. And so the entire concept used to be rather of specializing in the bitterness of being unacceptable for the reason that lady he liked became him away, he simply curious about what it had supposed to grasp the individual and to – and the way his age had modified. And so I believe the theory of specializing in what used to be excellent concerning the dating is the sentiment I actually will speed with me.
CONAN: Nation songwriters appear to have graduated from the Hallmark college.
DICKERSON: It’s. In fact, I as soon as in truth did a lecture on that…
CONAN: In point of fact?
DICKERSON: …for Hallmark writers – nation songs as a result of, proper, they’re doing the similar factor, the similar roughly construction.
CONAN: Hmm. Attention-grabbing. John, thank you very a lot. Are you able to give us an instance?
DICKERSON: Oh, neatly, it’s simply that – like, for instance, should you take a look at – this could’ve been within the ’90s, so that you had – there have been two nation western songs about pronouncing adios. And either one of them made connection with the rearview reflect. One with the rearview reflect is torn off. I’m by no means taking a look again. That used to be Jo Dee Messina. And next the alternative – I’m blanking on her title – had one about how I’m no longer going to seem within the reflect. So the metaphors progress in combination, however one used to be up-tempo, one used to be gradual pace. And so you’ve gotten (unintelligible)
CONAN: One used to be primary key, one a minor key.
DICKERSON: Other ways of doing the similar factor, and that’s what greeting card writers need to learn to do. How will we inform the similar tale once more?
CONAN: Once more and time and again.
(LAUGHTER)
CONAN: Let’s see. We progress to Suzie. Suzie is with us from Wilmington in – the only in North Carolina.
SUZIE: That’s proper. Thank you for taking my name. I used to be getting to inform you concerning the biggest adios card ever. I won a framed bus price tag. I used to be retirement my first actual task out of faculty and shifting to a unutilized town. And my team of peers purchased a bus price tag from the unutilized town again to my aged town, and so they framed it. They worn all my nicknames after they addressed it to me. And next on the base, it stated, in case of catastrophe, crack glass and are available house.
CONAN: Oh.
DICKERSON: Oh. That’s stunning. Oh, my goodness. How lengthy have been you with the ones crowd?
SUZIE: Smartly, it used to be an extended era in the past, but it surely used to be – I haven’t labored for that corporate in over two decades, and I used to be with them for 2 years so…
DICKERSON: Wow.
SUZIE: …it used to be moderately a pleasant ship off.
CONAN: Upcoming 10 years, did you get an SST price tag?
(LAUGHTER)
SUZIE: Smartly, , occasions have been other next. I may move slowly again quicker than I may speed the bus now. However, , that’s OK.
DICKERSON: I nonetheless am curious. What trade used to be that that has that many great crowd in it?
SUZIE: Smartly, it used to be, as you stated prior to, ingenious trade, and so they get a hold of superior issues. It used to be a e-newsletter.
DICKERSON: Great.
CONAN: Suzie, thanks very a lot for the telephone name. And that’s inspirational. That’s inspirational.
SUZIE: Thanks.
CONAN: We’re – thanks. And we’re speaking with David Ellis Dickerson, the previous Hallmark greeting card scribbler and writer of the YouTube form “Greeting Card Emergency.” You’re taking note of TALK OF THE NATION from NPR Information. Sharon’s at the order with us from Reno.
SHARON: Hi.
CONAN: Hello. You’re at the breeze, Sharon.
SHARON: Hi. Hello. Thanks such a lot for having me. I simply sought after to mention many, many thank you for years of fantastic programming. And I’ve, yeah, been in the course of Nevada, mapping underground. And I simply used to be telling your screener I’ve arise – made it some degree to all the time arise from underground to hear this system to aim to give a contribution extra frequently than no longer. I’ve been ready at the order to give a contribution, however – I’m so thankful for the programming. It’s gotten me via many tough days. And I’m simply tremendous, tremendous appreciative, and I’m getting to pass over you. Thanks such a lot and thanks for being so gracious.
CONAN: Thanks such a lot, Sharon.
SHARON: And it’s been glorious.
CONAN: It’s very roughly you – we started working that into card, one way or the other.
DICKERSON: Smartly, I used to be simply considering.
SHARON: I want you the most efficient.
(LAUGHTER)
CONAN: Thanks.
DICKERSON: I used to be simply considering, what the former caller had stated about we’re retirement a greater guy out. The techniques you’ve stepped forward crowd (unintelligible)
CONAN: (Unintelligible)
DICKERSON: Sure. One of the vital issues that’s roughly great is you, along with generating this program, it seems that, have additionally higher this girl’s publicity to daylight.
(LAUGHTER)
CONAN: So melanoma, she will blame me for.
DICKERSON: Refuse. It’s…
CONAN: It’s a superior method to progress.
DICKERSON: It’s the diet D. It’s glorious, and also you don’t – you didn’t even be expecting that to occur.
CONAN: Right here’s an electronic mail from Corine(ph) in Portland: When getting ready to drop China upcoming instructing college scholars for 3 years. One in every of my scholars offered me with a miniature card and glass jar with some withered plants and ground from the college fields the place she’d studied I taught and we each lived.
DICKERSON: That’s stunning.
CONAN: That’s actually great. Let’s see if we will be able to progress then to – that is Katie, Katie at the order with us from Buffalo.
KATIE: Hello. Hi.
CONAN: Hello, Katie.
KATIE: I’m a plenty fan of the display. It’s so particular to me that I’m getting to name you as of late, of all days.
CONAN: Smartly, thank you very a lot for the dialing. What’s your greeting card?
KATIE: My greeting card used to be in truth made for me this date for my birthday through my father. I reside actually a long way clear of him, so I don’t get to look him. Rising up, we’d all the time construct my folks card for each month at the aged Print Store program that worn to run on DOS at the pc. And I take note. And this date, my dad in truth recreated DOS on his pc in order that he may add and placed on a unutilized Print Store program. And he made me a selfmade, old-school Print Store card.
CONAN: Wow.
DICKERSON: That’s lavish. Oh, my gosh.
KATIE: It used to be superior. It used to be so considerate, and it used to be the sort of throwback to our adolescence. It used to be simply superior.
CONAN: Who recalls MS-DOS?
DICKERSON: That’s wonderful.
KATIE: I do know.
DICKERSON: However what about that? We have been simply speaking about how you’ll by no means say adios to crowd. We will’t say adios to anything else. There’s almost definitely – the entirety is to be had on-line at the moment in some record, someplace.
(LAUGHTER)
KATIE: So long as you’ll do the pc charm, you’ll construct it occur needless to say.
CONAN: Katie, thanks very a lot.
KATIE: After all. Thanks such a lot.
CONAN: Let’s progress then to – that is James, and James is at the order with us from Orlando.
JAMES: Thank you, Neal, for a few years of superior, fascinating tales. I had a woman crack up with me, and I believed she used to be so gifted when she signed the cardboard, applaud, pals. The comedy is over. Such a lot of years nearest, I discovered that used to be the death phrases of Beethoven, I imagine.
(LAUGHTER)
JAMES: Additionally, Neal, what’s going to occur to the theme song? I exit a accumulation, and you weren’t in Orlando for a few years. However next, you in any case got here, and I heard the theme song come on and I stated, I’m tuned in. So what’s going to occur to the theme track? Will SCIENCE FRIDAY store it?
CONAN: I imagine SCIENCE FRIDAY will store it as a result of I do know Ira Flatow neatly, and he’s no longer getting to fee every other music. However the – alternative than that, , possibly it’ll finally end up on a web page someplace. Who is aware of?
JAMES: Next you’ll live to tell the tale endlessly in our hearts. Thank you.
CONAN: OK. Thank you very a lot. We respect it. Let’s see…
DICKERSON: And almost definitely for a number of years too.
CONAN: Most likely. Keith is at the order with us from Castle Bragg in North Carolina.
KEITH: Hiya. Concentrate, Neal. We adore you such a lot, guy. And I simply need to permit you to know, guy, I’m taping this so I will let my negligible grandkids pay attention that I talked to Neal, this well-known man. He’s a reporter, and he all the time, he all the time made positive, in approach or the alternative, that he let dark family concentrate. Your legacy isn’t (unintelligible). You were given aged kingdom over there (unintelligible) and all that used to be occurring. The ones dark people working their very own nation. And the extreme era you probably did it, you stated, the place is the (unintelligible) from? You had this man (unintelligible). And I stated, neatly, Neal, you’re the best ever. And we adore you, dark, white, everyone, guy. We’re getting to pass over you. We’re getting to pass over you such a lot. Guy, I don’t even need to get started crying in this telephone, brother. We adore you, guy, and also you deal your self, Mr. Neal. OK, sir?
CONAN: I can do this, Keith. And I’m going to hold up or I’m going to start out crying.
KEITH: You’re the best, bro. You all the time made positive dark crowd concentrate. You anyone. You all the time made positive we knew that. Thanks, sir. And we adore you. Be excellent now, OK?
CONAN: I’ll do my easiest.
KEITH: Bye-bye.
CONAN: Bye-bye. So, David, prior to we drop, we simply have about 30 seconds left. The rest you need to drop us with?
DICKERSON: I had another card that I sought after to discuss, that I considered doing for – that can be excellent for a task. It might be – at the out of doors, it says, you’re retirement? That’s so uncalled for. When you sought after a host of hugs, it’s essential to’ve simply requested.
(LAUGHTER)
DICKERSON: Having stated that, I in truth wrote a card for you, Neal.
CONAN: Oh.
DICKERSON: As it’s essential to see, it has a negligible canine at the out of doors.
CONAN: It does.
DICKERSON: And it says, no matter else you’re doing then, I already find it irresistible.
(LAUGHTER)
DICKERSON: Thank you for making this a amusement too.
CONAN: David Ellis Dickerson, writer of “House of Cards.” Thanks such a lot for no longer simply this look, however for the entire others within the while.
DICKERSON: Thanks for, , all the ones years. It’s been actually, actually glorious,.
CONAN: David Ellis Dickerson joined us right here in Studio 42. I assumption it’s SCIENCE FRIDAY the next day. I’m Neal Conan. It’s the TALK OF THE NATION from NPR Information.
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