Memory Lane

There’s So Much Right … About Typewriters

Photos by Red


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I know you’ll roll your eyes, but it made me smile when I found not one, but two, of Daddy’s typewriters at Mom’s house. It just brought back so many memories.


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I remember the old black one, which is probably long gone, before Daddy “modernized” and got an electric one. I remember taking typing class. And, I remember pulling an all-nighter to write, or technically “type”, my M.B.A. thesis the night before it was due.


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I still can’t believe you did that. Too bad you couldn’t turn in the handwritten version.


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There was none. I had some notes, but I composed as I typed. It forced me to focus. Especially as that typewriter pre-dated ones with an internal correction tape, which meant I had to manually “white out” mistakes and then type over them or start the page over again.

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Seriously?! And that’s not about how the typewriter worked, it’s about how you wrote your thesis!

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Well, at least Daddy’s home office was in the basement, so you could not hear the constant tap-tap-tap. But, that reminds me of the times I would sneak downstairs to find Daddy up late, typing his engineering reports using the two-finger method. Even before people used the phrase “work-life balance,” he would never miss dinner and having time with us, but sometimes would then go back to work.

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Mommy was always a night owl, and as I got older and stayed up late watching old movies (I think I inherited that gene from her), she’d be on her typewriter in the kitchen working on her lists. I can still hear that distinctive sound.

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And, the ding when you hit the end of the line? Regardless, it explains why you found two typewriters. Mom took Daddy’s hand-me-down.

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Given she was once a secretary, she could fly through those keys. And now that I’m going through all of her things, I smile every time I find one of the seemingly endless lists she made. Some of which were handwritten and some typed. But with her handwriting … thank goodness for the typed lists.

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Can you imagine what she would have done if she had a computer? I tried getting her one years ago, but she wanted nothing to do with it.


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Talk about creating a monster. But there’s something, maybe nostalgia, maybe just the fact not everything has to be done in the most modern way, that makes me look at those two typewriters with a smile and new appreciation.


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They are a piece of history, which may explain why there is a National Typewriter Day (June 23). And, typewriters are responsible for the QWERTY keyboard that is still used on our computers and smartphones.


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I never thought about that, although it makes perfect sense. Funny thing is that when Sawyer saw the typewriters, she knew what they were but had never seen one in person. Well, I’m going to keep both typewriters. For now, anyway. Too many memories associated with them. Unless you want the one you used for your thesis.


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Not right now, but if we ever decide to get rid of them, we need to do some research as there is an active market for old typewriters. Of course, if Tom Hanks is interested in either of them, I would love to send him one to add to his collection.


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Tom Hanks collects typewriters? How do you know these things?


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AP News article about “digital burnout”. Apparently, he is an avid typewriter collector. And, it is more than a hobby, as he inspires others to appreciate them.


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I already did, but now I do even more!
Columbia Pictures

It’s Groundhog Day. Again! A day that reminds me of a great movie with a great message (see my thoughts below). Again. And this year, it reminds me that I have great friends. Now, you may wonder, what does that have to do with Groundhog Day? Well, a few years ago, I visited one of my dearest friends when she was living in Woodstock, IL, where the movie, “Groundhog Day” was filmed. Standing in the town square on a snowy night with one of my best friends is a day (well, technically a night) I’d be happy to repeat. Again and again.

Yes, I know that Groundhog Day was last week. But truth be told, on the actual day, I almost forgot that it was Groundhog Day. Until Black, on our morning phone call (we talk almost every morning – sometimes specific Red & Black items, sometimes current events, sometimes just "life") wishes me, "Happy Groundhog Day." Well, these days, every day feels like Groundhog Day, so I thought she was just being sarcastic, which wouldn't be unusual. When I started to reply with something like "yeah, same ole, same ole", I paused, because I realized, it really was Groundhog Day.

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Photo courtesy of United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Some things should never be forgotten. That’s why tomorrow’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day was created by the United Nations to mark the unspeakable horror of the Nazi’s genocide of over six million Jews. An event beyond comprehension, which makes us wonder why many U.S. states don’t require students learn about the horrors of the Holocaust. How can we prevent atrocities from happening again if we don’t understand how they happened before? And as we see heartbreaking images from Ukraine, it reminds us of Holocaust images, and that evil will always be evil …

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Shoes. Seemingly endless shoes. That’s all I can think about.


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I know you cannot be talking about my closet.


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Far from it! It’s an image that’s forever burned in my memory. A pile of shoes, each one representing a life lost. Each one a story onto itself. Each one proof of something we should never forget.


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Normally, I would ask you to tell me what you are talking about or accuse you of being overly dramatic. But, not this time.
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New Year’s Eve is one of those nights (Black calls them “forced” celebrations) that often have great expectations attached to it. Many people make a big deal of it, but we prefer a lowkey approach, making the evening “special” by spending it with special people – for Red, her daughters, and for Black, close friends.

Some years it can be a bittersweet celebration (if loved ones have passed or no longer live close to home), but that can remind you of what’s most important.

So, let’s all toast to the promise and hope of a new year … and to champagne and toilet paper.



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New Year's Eve seems like the perfect time to stroll down memory lane, although I'm guessing your memories are much more interesting than mine.


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"Interesting" is a subjective word. Regardless, are you talking about memories in general? Or, New Year's Eve celebrations?


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Actually, it was just a passing comment. But since you've always seemed to make a bigger deal out of New Year's Eve than I have, are there any years that really stand out?


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Truth is the most memorable ones are the ones spent with celebrating with closest friends versus crowds. In fact, I think I have spent more than half of my New Year's Eves with John and Diana. Although, I will never forget bringing in 2000.
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