The Last of the Typewriters

Last updated on: April 26, 2011 at 8:23 am by Kathy Tuan-MacLean

The Last of the Typewriters 2011-04-26T08:23:00-04:00 Kathy Tuan-MacLean

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

This morning on NPR I heard that the last company that produces manual typewriters has just discontinued them. There are 10 English typewriters left of the 200 in stock—buy one now!

I turn 46 on Saturday. The passing of the manual typewriter and my impending slide towards 50 makes me nostalgic for times gone by because my first manual typewriter was like a best friend.

When I took Typing in 10th grade, I was the third best typist in Mr. Kusonoki’s class, just behind Martha and Jill who sat directly in front of me and competed for the top spot. But they had taken typing before, and I was brand new, so in my own mind I was actually the best new typist in the class. By the end of the semester, I typed 70 words a minute. By the end of my senior year, I clocked myself at over 100 words a minute. To this day, I exult in the power of my fingers–with my skill, no matter what happens to me, I can always get a job as a secretary.

Punahou demanded that we either take Typing or prove we could type 35 words per minute. I resented Typing taking a time-slot where Glass-blowing or Journalism or Marine Biology could have resided. But to my surprise, Typing taught me better life and learning skills than many other classes I’ve taken.

Typing taught me the power of repetitive training, of learning things the right way–that if your forefingers are in the right place you can change the world, but move them just over one key and all that comes out is gibberish. And perhaps most surprisingly, my proficiency in typing taught me how to pray.

Because Punahou required that all high school papers be typed, Mama bought me a tiny plastic portable manual typewriter, so small and light it fit in my lap. My mini typewriter not only typed out multiple drafts of high school papers, but also became my closest confidant, my therapist and my spiritual director during the ego, spirit and emotion battering years of adolescence.

I can’t remember when I started writing letters to God, but when I hit 75 words/minute, I began typing to God instead. I could type almost as fast as I could think, which meant that typing letters to God was almost as satisfying as yelling.

My typewriter was the only physical presence on earth with which I felt permission to brutally express all my negative thoughts and emotions, the demonstration of aggressive emotions a taboo in my Asian world. While I had screamed, yelled and thrown fits with Mama my entire life, she made it clear that my insatiable need to argue, rage, and cause a ruckus in the family was patently evil and daily proof that America had corrupted her progeny.

All my fights with God, Mama or life drummed out of my fingers, through my tiny typewriter, and onto sheets of college-ruled, three holed paper. My family joked they could tell I was really upset when the door was shut to my room (shut doors a taboo in our family) and the clattering of furious typing came through the door.

30 years later I type my prayers on my week old Macbook Pro which I LOVE in so many ways. But I have to admit, if you’re going to have a temper tantrum with God, it’s just not as satisfying as banging on those old plastic keys.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

April 22, 2011

True Self/False Self and the Problem of Baking

Next Post

April 27, 2011 I'm Torturing my Kids

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month January 2015 November 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 October 2010 May 2010 April 2010 February 2010 January 2010 October 2009 September 2009

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What structure did people build to try to reach heaven?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Temple of Solomon Altar of Baal Tower of Babel Ark