When I was in high school, girls who were academically ahead of the curve were told not to take typing. “If they find out you can type,” we were told, “you’ll always be a secretary.” Well, I had no choice in the matter. I was out sick for the first month of school and fell too far behind in my French class. I had to drop it and replace it with another class, and the only option I was given was typing.
Of course I was a month behind there, too, and never really did catch up. Still, I’m grateful for the experience. Personal computers came around sometime while I was in college, and you need to know how to type to succeed on those.
I’m frequently shocked into realizing how old I am by memories like that one. Most of my co-workers grew up with PCs, and learning how to type came with the territory. Not long ago I was reminiscing with a friend my age about how it was before cell phones. Okay, not only cell phones, but things that are also antiques today–answering machines and caller id on your land line. When the phone rang, you answered it, because you didn’t know who it might be and there was a chance it was important. If you didn’t get to the phone in time, there was no way of knowing who called, no message to check, nothing. You just hoped they’d call back.
I’m flying out to see my dad this fall, and I know things have changed in the thirteen years since I last boarded an airplane. Boarding passes on your smart phone? They scan a code? My dad was telling me about this (he just took a trip to see my nephew graduate) and I couldn’t picture it. I do remember you have to take off your shoes, and this time hopefully I’ll be better prepared with the type of shoe I’m wearing. Although if I wear a slip-on, then I’ll be in my bare feet, so that’s not happening.
Things are changing faster and faster. Today I heard a doomsday prediction about AI. I don’t think I’m ready for the future, but it’s going to happen, so I’d better adjust.
Image Credits: Typewriter © MIGUEL GARCIA SAAVED–stock.adobe.com; Telephone © The Toidi–stock.adobe.com
My World With Words 
“Things are changing faster and faster.” Yes, they are, but it is funny when I type relatively faster than my kids. I’m actually really slow, I need to go back and fix all my errors, but I’m faster than my kids who learned naturally. They may be whizzes on the phone, but at least I can type faster than them. Ha, ha.
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That’s actually good to hear–I’m slow, but maybe not as slow as I think!!
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Oh, Belinda–the dreaded memories of daily typing tests in high school! I like to think we were ahead of the curve. 🙄
I was watching a movie on TV the other night and they used a rotary phone. Gosh, I loved those. We lived wild, didn’t we–answering a call when we had no idea who it was? Thankfully, our cellphones alert us to either ‘spam’ or ‘scam.’ With one swipe down, they are gone! Except for that one darned spam message that keeps getting left for me, “This is our last attempt to reach you…”
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It’s a lot better today, isn’t it?
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You’re absolutely right, Belinda. Did you know some people have whole lives in virtual reality??? Like a job, home, etc.?
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Yowza. I don’t need to catch up that far!
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lol
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Prejudices work in mysterious ways. I never learned how to type because I was told it was for girls. This is high school in the 1980s, and boys were pushed to enroll in the Industrial Arts class, while girls were expected to take typing classes. 😦
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Not surprising. I’m pretty sure the typing classes at my school will were part of a business-school-for-girls curriculum.
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