Writing & Typing
I haven't written in a while. I kinda forgot that this blog existed. It's probably because I'm not used to writing. I started this blog as a hope to write more often and consistently. I wanted to write about what I wanted to write about. Recently, I have been so busy in life. Well, I have acquired something that will hopefully help me get back on track.
A few days ago my significant other bought me a typewriter for my birthday. It's a Remington model 5. I honestly have yet to use it. Though the ribbon is new, the keys are cleaned, and the excitement is brewing (or already brewed) I haven't typed out a single sentence, much less a word. I figured by now that I would be brimming with things to write about, that I would go full-swing into typing up something, anything, that I would've gummed up the keys several times by now. But, alas, no. Why's that?
I honestly think it's because I am waiting for the right thing to put to physical words. Yet, I tell myself that "just write, it doesn't have to be anything thought out yet." I would probably be better off to just write for the sake of writing. But there is still a part of me that whispers "don't waste the ink, don't waste the paper." I feel as though I learnt this from society. Don't make mistakes, don't take risks, and don't do anything that doesn't produce anything useful.
So, that's my predicament. I have a partial solution, to write out some of my old poetry. At least that would help get my fingers used to the keys. I really can't wait. Instead of the light 'click' of the keyboard, I am expecting the loud, mechanical 'clack' of metal on metal and metal on paper. A satisfying physically marvellous sound. I am ready to develop the muscles involved with swinging my wrists and hands like a pendulum, having my fingers cascade into the keys causing a chain-reaction to create language.
I got the typewriter for a few reasons. One of them, and the most prominent, is the physicality of it. Nowadays (feeling old) things are digital. Nearly everything lost its tactility. I miss the times when televisions had knobs and switches. Phones had buttons for each function (Call, hang up and the dreaded keypad arrangement. If you love repeatedly pressing the same key to produce a single letter, then that's for you. I'm looking at you pqrs and wxyz buttons.) Even cars now are drifting away from this tactile nature. Speaking of..
My mother recently bought a new car. It has no stick-shift, instead a series of buttons. Now, I said I missed the buttons on television and phones so why am I complaining? Well, the very tactile nature of a stick-shift, or hand-cranked windows are disappearing (especially hand-cranked windows, a workout and a half). They started as very, very tactile. The smaller and more developed Televisions and phones are less tactile, but they are also smaller (so less room for tactility, I think). I am just tired of the touchscreenification of everything. I want to press buttons, pull levers, flip switches.
And this is why I got a typewriter. As I see folks touch glass with pictures of buttons and icons (myself included), I wonder if we'll go back? I think not, but I hope to take care and love and use this wonderful gift.
I do think it is a bit of a sign that I have the typewriter font and that I recently acquired one. Here's hoping.