This week I am thankful, once again, for many things. My life is truly blessed. But what struck me earlier this week, as I was trying to catch up on blogging, emails, and general correspondence, is that I am truly thankful that I learned how to type when I was in high school.
I went to a college prep high school and typing was not even part of the recommend curriculum. This was pre-PC, so keyboarding was not yet even a term. I took typing as an elective because both of my sisters swore that I would be glad that I did. They were right.
I learned to type on a Remington standard typewriter. Our teacher was of the opinion that those newfangled electric typewriters made for weak typists. So, we learned on a standard and then, if we chose to take a second year, got to use the new IBM Selectrics.
I miss the thrill of returning the carriage at the end of a line. I miss the sound of the keys striking the ribbon, transferring the ink from the ribbon to the paper. I miss - OK, I do NOT miss carbons. Boy, do I not miss carbons.
I take typing for granted. I was retyping from a hard copy the other day and my grandson was amazed that I could type and not look at the keys. Just amazed. That's when I realized that it is indeed a gift for which to be thankful. And I am.
12 comments:
Wow! I can sure relate to this post!! I learned on the same equipment...I typed on an IBM Selectric when I worked as a typist for the school newspaper. I haven't thought of that in years. Thanks for the great memory!
Even when I was in high school (I graduated in 1995), keyboarding was not a required class. I don't even necessarily remember them recommending it for those on the college track. How crazy is that?
After my Mom kept bugging me about it, I finally took it my junior year. I hated the class, but I suspect that it was probably the most useful class I took in my entire high school career. Funny, isn't it? (We used word processors in our class, and I, too, miss the sound of the keys as the hit the paper.)
Ahhh fond memories and sounds. I actually got kicked out of typing class. I should post about it. Funny story.
I took typing on a whim... and my teacher hated me. I couldn't type without resting my wrists on the front of the typewriter (IBM Selectric) and I walked out of there with a D. Fast forward a couple of years and I was working on television coverage for Ted Bundy's trial doing graphics (those words you see on the screen). We had a little four-page machine to work on and baby it was literally trial by fire. I learned how to type FAST. And correctly - it was a live feed and any screwup went nationwide.
I can almost type as fast as I think now.
I took office skills in HS. What's funny is the other day Marissa and I were talking about how nowadays the kids can type their reports instead of handwriting them. It's good because of spell checker and everything looks neat. The bad thing is, marissa found out, what happens when you don't save your work. She had to retype a whole essasy, which I still told her is faster than having to rewrite something.
Yay for technology!
I so wish I'd had the opportunity to learn to type when I was at school. I did go to night school when I was in my 30's but didn't keep it up so I never really mastered touch typing!
We use to have one of those older ones. I much rather have my computer. LOL!
I have the pictures up now. I head hurts worse than the car looks. LOL!
I'm just Thankful it hit the front wheel and not the driver dorr or I may not be here or in worse shape.
I took typing in Grade 10 and managed to actually fail. My mother was humilated. Funny, today I type quite fast.
I took typing in high school and loved it. I'm so glad I did.
The Princess just made a comment about the exact same thing the other day. It is so useful...of course...these days they are learning it in elementary school.
I kinda miss typewriters, the sounds and such but yeah a keyboard is better. Just too bad that after all these years I still only hunt and pekk. Well it's more like I have my own finger positioning. :)
My high school typing was the same: first year on standard, second on electric, if you so chose.
We got a "word processing" class the last year I was in school. We used Apple computers with the those big huge disks. Funny.
My first computer class at college we used mainframe terminals. No PCs in very great quantity at that time for us undergrads. Damn, this is making me feel old! I grad in 85.
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