In my post ‘Of course, … a course‘, I wrote the following –
At times my brain sees and reads something different than what I write. In past posts, I write about my learning disabilities as a child, my internal struggles with myself; it is all here on my blog somewhere. I make mistakes, I have shortcomings, and I am no expert at writing.
In today’s post, I write the following –
Ages ago when I was in 7th or 8th grade, I remember taking a typing class. Who remembers typewriters?

Image Provided by: http://www.typewriters.us
I have no memory of when the last time I saw a real typewriter. Do they even exist anymore?
I was very good at typing and could type over a 100 words per minute with very few if no mistakes. Remember typewriters had no autocorrect and if you did make a mistake, there was always whiteout. Who remembers whiteout?

Image Provided by: http://www.nordisco.com
As I grew older and left the typewriter for a computer keyboard, my typing skills increased and others would be impressed with my abilities on a keyboard. I would type away pounding on the keyboard as I was always a hard hitter on the keys; therefore, I had to replace many keyboards.
I had and still have a little bit of dyslexia. At times when typing, when I want to use a certain word, the fingers on the keyboard often times will reverse letters or totally switch the order of letters. Now that I am older this occurs more times than I like, but I correct my mistakes and move on. The good thing about computers is I do not have to use whiteout. So much easier to correct and less of a mess. Plus, the bottle of whiteout would dry out too quick and it would have to be thrown away before the full bottle was used.
So, what does Quite and Quiet have to do with this post?
I quite often make mistakes when typing now, but usually catch them: sometimes I don’t, but usually I do.
I need quiet time to write my posts, because along with my dyslexia and other learning disabilities, I am unable to concentrate when there is noise, it distracts me.

Image Provided by: slideplayer.com
I also quiet often will make mistakes when there is noise around me, I need my surroundings to be quite.
Did you catch that?
I did that on purpose this time – because this occurs often.
I am thankful my computer will help me correct mistakes and I do not have to use whiteout.
I remember typewriters – I was a secretary when I left school so I had to type perfect copy on a golf ball electric but I learned on a manual. I still love that sound. It must have been very hard for you having dyslexia as a child and as an adult given the year of your birth is the same as mine. The world was so much less open to learning disabilities and just labelled children as ‘slow’ or ‘thick’ (in Britain those would have been the words of choice). Look how far you have come! Look what you have achieved! It is remarkable that the eloquent and clear voice you share is that of a man who has word-blindness. You are remarkable Terry. Quite remarkable. And by the way I am not Dyslexic and yet I manage to come up with some appalling typos that go un-noticed. I need the patience to be quiet and re-read, I rather think!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you Osyth for another nice comment and compliment. At my age now, I do not let my dyslexia bother me, I just correct the words and move on. And yes, I remember being labeled as ‘slow’ when I was very young. Thanks dear, hope you have a great week. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I learned on a manual typewriter, still own one. We’ve come a long way from those original golf ball “selectrics” from IBM, who came up with a correcting version with a white ribbon in the 1970’s…lots of memories of white out as well. It would seem so easy to confuse quiet and quite..you must edit a lot, Terry, because your posts are pretty much flawless.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, those typewriters have come along ways from my days in school. Honestly I am unsure how great my typing skills would be on a typewriter today. I usually catch my mistakes as I type and correct immediately. Thanks Van, always appreciate your comments. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Typewriters were so unforgiving! Thankful for the ease of computers today. I actually learned to type on one of those old manual’s where the keys would stick together. Fun times! Have a great day Terry!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just thinking about taking a class to learn how to use a typewriter seems odd to think about these days. I did enjoy the class, one of the few I did well in. Have a great day to you as well Paula. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Funny I go back to manual typewriters when I learned to type in high school. Electric keyboards came along and I didn’t like them at first. Is cursive writing dying?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yep, the typewriter was fun and now keyboards, what is next? Interesting you should mention cursive, I saw a news headline just this morning about some schools are bringing that back into the classroom. Thanks David! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I didn’t catch it until you pointed it out! I think my brain automatically corrected it for me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think that happens to many of us – we have some smart brains! Thanks Sarah. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Switched on the old-time game show network this morning and one of the big prizes being offered up (in the 80’s of course) was a brand-new electric typewriter. Funny how I always remember the old-school typewriters but had forgotten their electric offspring until I saw that. I used an electric typewriter too…but apparently didn’t think much of them!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those typewriters evolved and now I guess now close to being obsolete? Appreciate your stopping by Bruce, have a great week. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You have a great week as well Terry 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good old typewriters, now that certainly brings back memories 🙂 Shoo, you were quite the typist, I am sure you put many a person to shame 🙂 I am not surprised you went through keyboards on the electric typewriters having typed on manuals…you had to hit down hard on those things!
We had/have something called Tipp-Ex which was used,(quite messy really) must be the same as the White-out.
I must admit, I love the quiet. I will have the quiet before noise, any day. 🙂 Have a good one. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Typewriters – those were the days, and certainly I did put a few people to shame with my typing skills. I am lacking some today, though my typing skills on a keyboard is not too bad. Thanks Lynne, a good one to you as well today! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
My mother had a large collection of typewriters and as the years went by it became harder and harder to find someone to fix them…there was one old man who had made that type of work his speciality in life and she was probably his best customer. I had an IBM Selectric (remember those?) like the one pictured, except mine was red. I watched the evolution of the typewriter to the word processor and then onto the personal and desktop computer. Now there are tablets and phones and a typewriter seems so archaic. My 16 y.o. nephew probably doesn’t even know what one looks like. This post made me feel a bit dated if you want to know…and yes I remember white out. I still use it too. It’s useful for correcting mistakes of a more creative type these days – it works great on adult coloring books where one has gone outside the lines.. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well dear, I am a bit dated as well, because I remember using typewriters when I worked for a bank upon graduating high school – the typing class paid off. Thanks for you comment, I always appreciate them. 🙂
LikeLike
I remember typing out student theses on a Brother portable with 2 keys that used to stick. I had to do carbon copies as well. I liked the correction papers better than Tipp-Ex, small slips of paper with powdered white-out on them, you slipped them in between typing paper and ribbon and hit the error key which would erase the mistaken letter and you could type over it. I too mix up letters when using a keyboard, lovely always comes out lovley!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I remember the correction paper also, it certainly was less messy and easy for corrections. Much has changed over the years. Thanks Chris, hope you are having a great Monday! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I remember typing class. fff (space) jjj (space) f (space) j (space) and on and on…. 😃
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh yes, those were the days. Thanks Alexis! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
My first job out of school was in a local council office. One of the things I did was type reports (in triplicate with sheets of carbon paper) for the Health Inspector. One day I painstakingly did infectious disease notifications for a whole family of people who’d got sick (about 6 of them), gave them to the Inspector and then watched horrified out the window as he let them all slip out of his hand on the way to his car. It was a wet windy day and there was no way he could use the soggy papers, so I had to type them all over again. I love word-processors. Just sayin.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh my, all that work to have to do over again. I worked for a bank right out of high school and remember using a type writer a great deal of the time. Times have changed – thanks Su! 🙂
LikeLike
🙂 despite their limitations, I actually miss the sound of a typewriter, and the sense of physicality you get from pounding the keys. Oh dear, I’m getting nostalgic 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the memories. Yes, I well remember Typewriters and Write out. But I have to admit that I had a moment of panic when I read your sentence, “I also quiet often will make mistakes when there is noise around me, I need my surroundings to be quite.” I thought, Oh, no, he just made a mistake in his post about making mistakes!” Then I read on and burst out laughing once I realized that you had intended it. A good belly laugh, thanks. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have to take all my mistakes in stride and not let it get to me – even have to laugh about it at times. Thanks Amanda, some interesting memories we have about the technology of that day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
p.s. love the new snow background, it looks cool. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLike
Oops, just realized that it’s sand, right???? Maybe I have sight dyslexia!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is sand, and I have not decided if I really like it or not. I may have to change it again – I will give it a day or two before I decide. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You guys remember electric typewriters, but I still remember my old and very load manual one, and we didn’t have whiteout. We had editors who would look at you like something that had crawled from under a stone if you made mistakes. Those were the days!
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL, too funny about the mistakes, no way to correct? Those were the days – thanks Dolly. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
The only way to correct was to retype the entire page.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not fun at all.
LikeLiked by 1 person
With a deadline hanging over your head like the proverbial Damocles’ sword – no, no fun!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I remember typewriters. I actually have one I bought for Loser. It’s in its own little case…and I remember white-out. (Not that I ever had to use it.) LOL
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I remember the typewriters that were in their own case. I bet you bought stock in white-out, just kidding, I know you are perfect when it comes to typing. 🙂
LikeLike
Like you, I could actually type in excess of 100 wpm with no mistakes. I am pretty fast on the keyboard as well. That damned auto-correct messes with me….like that time I was trying to type Bellagio and it kept changing it to fellatio…That would slow anybody down. Hahahaha!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, the auto-correct does bother me at times also. My typing skills are lacking some these days, I still type fast, I just make more mistakes than ever. Thanks Laurel! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow I remember type writers and class to learn how to type! Computers sure are handy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Computers are very handy, thank you technology! Happy Monday Lynn! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happy monday to you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I remember both typewriters and whiteout! I’m glad to be done with the whiteout but the clickety-clack of a typewriter is rather nostalgic. I do think they’ve started making them again, you know the retro thing, just like record players. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like the idea of the typewriters coming back – some good memories! Thanks Kathryn, have a great Tuesday! 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
LOL! We have SO much in common! I caught your mistake right away, and my heart stopped a minute wondering whether I should tell you, and then I saw you did it on purpose! PHEW! 🙂 i remember typewriters like that and was a super speedy typer too. Actually won a scholarship to community college for it – that I did not end up accepting. I also need quiet to proofread as I am easily distracted! 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
I think most of us were really good on the typewriter, and it is interesting how it has all changed.. My computer keyboard now is very small and therefore I am slower at typing (my excuse). Thank Jodi, it is Tuesday again. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh yes, there are quite a few of us here who can relate to this. I’m another one! Good ole typewriters and white out. I was actually a pretty good typist though now my 16yo son blitzes me on the keyboard in terms of words per minute. Ah, how times have changed. 😊
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, the times have changed Miriam – I miss those typewriters, but not the whiteout! Thanks for stopping by – have a great day! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
The whiteout was always messy wasn’t it? Ah, such long ago memories. You have a great week. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
When I typo I sometimes make types
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, I understand – thanks Derrick. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Entertaining take on a difficult problem
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Derrick – hope your week is going well. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do remember typewriters – I even had one myself, an electric one which I dearly loved! Instead of whiteout I used an added band coated with correction liquid – that was quite fancy and pricey 😉
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, the electric typewriters, they were fun! So much has changed, hasn’t it Sarah? Happy Day my friend. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happy day to you too!!! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
We still have our old manual type writer in the family, it was an Olympic….tap-tap-tap I loved the sound of it….good ole white out, and the eraser that always put holes in your paper…LOL I used to type paper for friends….its was a challenge and I made a little money on the side, all I can say is thank goodness for computers and spell check…LOL xxxkat
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yes, I agree – thank you computers and spell check. I do like the sound of typewriters, the computer keyboard is just not the same. Thanks kat, I appreciate you always stopping by. 🙂
LikeLike
Honest writing:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, I appreciate you stopping by to read and comment. Have a great day. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Do you remember the golf ball that came with electric typewriters, so you could change the font easily..You needed a separate golf ball for the different fonts, I think, but it was very fancy at the time!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I totally forgot about that – what a great memory Joan. So many things have changed over the years. Thanks for stopping by today. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, things change. Nothing stays still for long. Glad to read your progress is good
Stay strong.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes I do! How I learned to type with ‘whiteout’ by my side! My Mother has a typewriter and she has it in her will to go to me. It has been sitting in her closet for years and years…I will accept it graciously and enjoy the memories. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
How cool, that she still has a typewriter, lots of good memories. Many things have changed over the years. Happy Thursday Sandra. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, in storage but still hanging around! I will cherish it always. Happy Friday!! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great article, had to share!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you very much – I appreciate you stopping by to read and comment. Hope you have a great day. 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you much
LikeLiked by 1 person
I recently wrote a post about being “Quiet” and it’s unbelievable how many times I wrote “Quite” instead of quiet. In fact, I think I did it three times just in this comment. LOL.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It happens to the best of us. Thank you for stopping by today to read and comment. Hope you have a happy day! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person