Old Type Way to Slow Down

by Woody

Old Type Way to Slow Down and Smell Roses

My dear friend Michael Mariani recently texted – ironically, it seems to me – asking if I had a manual typewriter he could borrow. He was considering buying one, but wanted first to do a test drive.

I replied that while my circa 1910 Underwood No. 5 had been restored to fine working order, it still offered a fairly clunky experience.

Only days later, I received an old-fashioned typed letter. It was folded and tucked inside a card with a photograph of the gorgeous black-and-gold 1936 L.C. Smith & Corona Standard portable typewriter of which Michael had impulsively become the proud owner.TypewriterKeys_Screen shot

Unlike perfectly uniform lettering spit out by a computer printer, typed keystrokes create various shades of black which in turn create a kind of mosaic artwork beyond the words themselves.

Moreover, I believe the x’d out mistakes and typos – after all, a typewriter has no “delete” key or spell-check – in Michael’s letter add warmth and beauty.

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“Dear Woody,

“You are holding in your hand my third typewritten note.

“What is my fascination with the typewriter?

“I like the idea that it forces me to slow down. Like millions of people, (oh my, the sound of the bell!) I am in search of ways to slow down in my life. I have spent the past 35 years looking for ways to speed up and always striving to increase efficiencies. Now, i (sic) long for the opposite.

“I love to see my errors. No big bother waiting to correct my spelling or grammar. When I make an x (an “a” has been struck over with an “x”) error, it is there for all to see.

“I love the nostalgia of these machines. I x (an “o” has been x’d out) also was not aware of the very (there is that beuatiful (sic) ding again!) large following. It seems I am not alone in my quest to honor these wonderful machines. I am now the proud owner of not one, but three typewriters.TypewriterHands

“I imagine the people that first used these to write important documents or love letters or mundane business docments (sic). I am reading a book about this revolution, no surprisxe (sic), and it appears there are other books on the subject that I plan to read.

“I have alwasys (sic) wanted to write and the typewriter gives me an excuse and allows me to dream (an “a” is covered by a hard-struck “m”) and pretend I am writing some great work, even if it is only a simple letter.

“I love the sound of the keys hitting the paper. I love the history of them. I love that I can collect three of these special machines for about $200.

“I look forward to finding ways to share my joy with others in the future.

“Sincerely,

(Handwritten signature)

“Michael”

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Woody Woodburn writes a weekly column for The Ventura County Star and can be contacted at WoodyWriter@gmail.com.

Wooden & Me Kickstarter Front PhotoCheck out my memoir WOODEN & ME: Life Lessons from My Two-Decade Friendship with the Legendary Coach and Humanitarian to Help “Make Each Day Your Masterpiece” and my essay collection “Strawberries in Wintertime: Essays on Life, Love, and Laughter” …