Saturday, December 29, 2007

Kickin' It Old Skool

Kickin' It Old Skool - an IBM Selectric typewriter at the Stayton Public Library in Stayton Oregon

Now listen here, youngsters, I'm going to tell you a story. Back in my day, we didn't have computers. No, sir, we had these things called typewriters. No spell-check, no fancy fonts, just good old fashioned words on good old fashioned paper! And we were thankful for it, yes we were.

We had to carry our typewriters on our backs to and from school every single day in the sleet and blinding snow, but you didn't hear us complain. It built character! That's right, big hunks of metal strapped to our backs. We didn't have laptops, we had backtops! We are permanently hunched over now, but it was worth it, let me tell you.

But now, all you youngsters have your computers, and nobody has to think, and you just zip off your messages to your friends, you ungrateful good-for-nothing kids without hunchbacks. And don't get me started on texting! Nobody can spell a darned thing these days.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go to the public library where they know the value of a good typewriter (pictured above), and I'm going to write honest to goodness letters, not that anyone ever writes me back. Use email, they say. We don't write letters anymore, they say. Well, I'll show them, those spoiled little punks.

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4 Comments:

Blogger oldmanlincoln said...

It looks a lot like the old IBM Selectric typewriter that originally cost about $500.00 US Dollars. We bought one and used it to compose catalogs for our business. You could buy all of these different type balls for them. It was at the peak of the then technology curve. This is the first one I have seen in many decades.

I used a manual Royal and a manual Underwood while I was in the Army.

12/29/2007 02:16:00 AM  
Blogger AZLeader - Steve said...

You are so funny yet so accurate.

I fondly remember(NOT!) using a typewriter when I could not spell for nothing and retyped things over and over again. :)

I also distinctly remember when Salem-Keizer school district automated their operations which retired all their old Selectric typewriters to replace them with terminals. A lot of folks retired about that time. I hate to think how many of those retirements were triggered by bad programming on my part. :(

12/29/2007 01:08:00 PM  
Blogger Yehudi01 said...

I also remember using typewriters as a kid, (I just turned 34), so it really makes me feel a bit old to read your post...Good job, thanks alot. :)

12/29/2007 05:07:00 PM  
Blogger Celine said...

Thanks for the info, Abraham.

Steve, it was all your fault. I know, I heard the talk. ;)

yehudi01, you're only a year older than me, so we're both old. :)

12/29/2007 05:14:00 PM  

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