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| . . . or you could just throw it at someone . . . |
In high school, amid the myriad choices, there was one class everyone was expected to take.
None of us could understand why.
It was a useless class.
What on earth would we ever need it for?
It's not like it had any practical applications.
Yep. Typing 10.
The colossal waste of time.
But we were, if nothing else, dutiful.
Daily, we would report to our teacher.
Then scurry to get the best machine.
I should explain, here, that the machines we used were all elderly 'Olivetti Underwoods'.
Non-electronic.
Totally manual.
Capable of jamming if any two keys approached the action zone at the same time.
Heavy, cast iron.
And able to take whatever abuse we chose to mete out.
And, believe me, that was Abuse with a capital 'A'.
One friend would systematically pound on her machine for every mistake she made.
It was quite entertaining.
And made the typing of the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog not quite so mundane.
And repetitive.
Daily, we were taken through exercises designed to improve our accuracy.
Our ability to type while looking anywhere other than our keyboard.
And our speed.
None of which were my forte.
Our teacher would stand at the front of the room with her trusty little stopwatch.
And holler 'Go!”
Dozens of keys would begin clicking.
Okay, another thing I should mention is that manual typewriters, at least the ones we used, were noisy.
All of us typing together would constitute what could only be considered a 'din'.
With the sound of my friend periodically rising above as she stopped to punch her machine. “Stupid, useless . . .!”
“Stop.”
Hands in our laps.
Then we would roll out our paper and check for mistakes.
This is where I always came to grief.
Well, one of the places.
I could type fast.
I just didn't ever hit the right keys.
Of all the kids in the class, I probably scored the worst.
Oddly enough, I'm the only one who now makes her living . . . typing.
The irony is just sickening.
P.S. Every time I see an old Olivetti Underwood, I get all misty and nostalgic. Go figure.
I went right through typing, through my senior year, and I can safely say that typing was the most useful course in school. I use it everyday, whether it be for work or play, or being a pot-stirrer on social media. I USE my typing skills. Now take what EVERY teacher seemed to think ranked highest: MATH. I don't use anything beyond 9th Grade. Physics, which is applied math, I can understand and I've used it throughout my career. On a scale of 1-10, I give typing a 10 and math maybe a (.1)...
ReplyDeleteOmg I had typing class too! I was decent at it but today my kids think I type weird because of how my finger placement is on the keys.
ReplyDeleteThis brought back memories. A social studies teacher asked me why I didn't sign up for Typing II... I told him I did not want to be a secretary. He seemed shocked. LOL. Anthropology is definitely more my speed. Notebooks and pencils!
ReplyDeleteI've gotten really fast at typing. Now texting? That's another story {{sigh}}.
ReplyDeleteI actually like to type, even as a secretary back in the day. Your typing class brought back memories, which I must admit, I liked! Laurie
ReplyDeleteI am still grateful that I learned to touch type - and wish I had learned it at school.
ReplyDeleteI can't touch type to save my life, but the one in the picture - or one just like it was my best friend when I was little. I had my head full of stories and a handwriting no-one my self included could read. So my Mom gave mean old typewriter to use. I loved it! And dreamt of a machine that could type what I said - which I can get now, and prefer to use my hands ... go figure!
ReplyDeleteI echo one of your other commenters - typing was the best thing I ever learned in school. It enabled me to earn a living and it's something I still do daily. I also learned on a manual typewriter. Fortunately, I was good at typing but can you imagine all the associated skills - setting margins, correcting errors (what a process, especially if you were making copies and had to correct the carbons.) When my aunt gave me her used, heavy Royal typewriter at around age 12, I was in heaven. I wish I still had it, although it would only be a decoration - or doorstop.
ReplyDeleteTyping was one of my few good classes. They call it "keyboarding" now.
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