When the oath turns into karaoke

I asked a signer to raise his right hand in the lobby at 2:30 and he boomed “I solemnly swear” like we’d queued up a mic — this reminded me of those Little League dads who treat the anthem like their audition. Do you give a quick “inside voice” pep talk first or just nod, stamp, and pray the building manager doesn’t appear?

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I give a quick ‘inside voice’ cue before the hand raise: ‘I’ll ask, you answer “I do,” normal volume — no need to project,’ which usually deflates the stadium-anthem vibe. If they still go full karaoke, I shift to a quieter corner or hallway for the redo so the lobby doesn’t turn into open mic.

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