What an awful week. I was sooo sick, but not until I was at the airport waiting to leave. If could have just passed out in that pub where I had lunch the whole week might have turned out better. The other frustration with my illness was how unhelpful my so-called "care team" is in a situation. Screw them all. I'm going rogue. I'm definitely changing endocrinologists if I can find one with email.
My Type-in was mixed. It was like my parties all my life. I hate finding out the hard way who my friends are (Thanks Ryan, Chris, Al and Chuck, 3 of whom don't read this blog LOL, and yes all you others I do understand about just not being able to come, but I invited a LOT of people personally, some with kids who would probably have had fun). I did snag a collector from Olympia who learned of it via the yahoo group so thanks go to whomever posted there, I was remiss.
The other positive was that due to Library Official Sanction there was at least one public place in the world for four hours in which typing was NOT viewed EVEN BY THE PARTICIPANTS as some vile combination of indecency and disturbing the peace. Even the library staff had to come and try them out, and the children were great.
I have found myself getting angrier the more it appears that my brethren are ASHAMED to be heard typing. As if the world was any kind of quiet place. I live in a neighborhood where I must endure braying jackasses at 2 am leaving the bars, and at any hour might find someone URINATING in my alley, and you want me to be hypersensitive to the "noise" of a Hermes Rocket??? I am not a confrontational guy. NOTHING I ever do is done to be confrontational, (except perhaps this post, and this is my own damn blog).so when I feel it happening I check my glucose. But I am DAMN FOR SURE not going to be ASHAMED of typing! You guys hide if you want, and yes consideration is a wonderful thing - this is digital because my wife is sleeping next to me. I totally get that. I'm not talking about getting all up in everyone's "grill" needlessly, just not hiding. The revolution will never get off the ground that way. It must become as commonplace and tolerated as loud cellphone yakking. It's certainly less annoying.
Now that I've offended nearly everyone, I'm going to sleep.
p.s.: Has anyone given typewriters to younger students or daycares? We have a Ronald McDonald House nearby. what do you think?
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I was shaking my head in sad agreement over the sorry state of how typewriters are unappreciated in public. Then, you mentioned "cellphone yakking" and I was right there with you, shaking my fist in defiance.
ReplyDelete"CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? SOME GUY IS USING A TYPEWRITER... WHAT? I SAID, SOME GUY IS... I KNOW. IT'S, LIKE, SO INCONSIDERATE!"
Yeah. When they stop shouting into their shiny little iGadgets, maybe we'll stop feeling ashamed of the tickety-click of our typers.
OK, since I'm paranoid enough to feel this is almost entirely directed at me...
ReplyDeleteI fully intended to go this weekend, despite the fact that I was on call. I got a call just after noon on Sunday, which turned out to be nothing, but by the time I'd dealt with it and some other...stuff...it was well into the afternoon and I didn't make it. It was nothing personal, and I'm hoping the library is open to additional events, 'cause I'd like another chance.
Secondly, regarding "shame" of typing in public, there's a fine line between shame and a nauseating fear of being noticed. Unless you walk a mile in someone else's shoes, so to speak... And it's not like this is morality we're talking about here. It's a hobby. If some typewriter folk enjoy typing in public and spreading the word, that's cool. If others prefer to use pen or pencil or Alphasmart or even *computers* when out and about, that's A-OK too.
Sometimes I feel like I'm just not revolutionary enough for the typosphere. Especially since I like almost all writing technology equally, and will pick whichever *I'm* most comfortable with in a given situation, without trying to push any boundaries.
Hope you get your health care provider issues straightened out! That's rough. :\
Just to comment on this question: "Has anyone given typewriters to younger students or daycares?"
ReplyDeleteI have given typewriters to clasrooms for preschoolers -- who had a pretty tough time handling things like Magic Margin -- and mixed 1st-6th graders -- who love typewriters and use them for a lot of things. Even a very young kid might do well; my 5-year-old niece just adored the typewriter I gave her for Christmas.
OK, I apologize for losing my cool earlier. It's only because...just as the lack of forwardness regarding typing in public is apparently a hot button for you, sometimes I'm annoyed by certain elements my own little pea-brain perceives within the typosphere: it can feel like one must somehow prove one's devotion to all things typewriter or be judged and found (almost morally) lacking. Typewriters to me are fun writing tools, and I like them very much. I'm all for spreading the word. But when bringing folks to typewriterdom becomes some sort of serious cause rather than just a fun hobby to be enthusiastically shared with other interested souls, it rubs me the wrong way.
ReplyDeleteNot saying necessarily that you were guilty of that...I just tend to have a bit of a chip on my shoulder about it, and therefore got het up. And part of it was guilty conscience regarding not making it Sunday. I did want to.
I've wanted to respond all day but the form won't work on my work browser. That wasn't directed at you. Though I was disappointed with the turnout and reserve the right to hurt feelings, that merely makes me pathetic and need have no effect upon you or anyone else. No, the rant mostly had to do with the opinions of others that my writing quietly is more disruptive than their obnoxious conversations, or drunken hooting, or spitting, or etc.
ReplyDelete...and smoking, shrieking children, off-leash dogs, ringtones, car stereos ...
ReplyDeleteLFP, I think you've brought up something interesting, regarding militancy about typewriters and the hobby, etc. I just might do a post about that...
ReplyDeleteAnd NotAgain, in my case my lack of attendance was nothing personal whatsoever, and related to a sick kid.
What can you say, we're the participants in a new social movement? What's not to say it's not going to have a little friction here and there. As they say in the typosphere, it's not good to get stressed out over a few stuck keys.
ReplyDeleteLFP - I agree with all your points, I must say, even the ones that you later apologized for. We all have different personalities and to claim someone is ashamed of typewriters because they don't use them in public is to take a rather separatist stance.
ReplyDeleteAs Strikethru says, you do bring up an interesting point, and one worthy of further exploration. I will concede, though, that a couple of outspoken people do not speak for all of us, and so until I can confirm that public displays of typing and other forms of militancy in general are non-negotiable prerequisites for counting oneself part of the "revolution" (which is not currently the case as far as I can tell), I shan't jump to any conclusions yet. I suspect that most of us, myself included, are rather laid-back about the whole thing and are not getting quite so worked up (I don't mean to dismiss notagain's concerns).