the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

When I was in 11th grade I was required to take a "Business Education" class. This was essentially a typing class with some added information about how to address a variety of formal letters, and the proper way to fold and place those letters in an envelope. I loved this class. It was taught by Mr. Barnes, a very short, very black, very gay man. His pants were always a bit too short and he wore the most outrageous socks. Thinking about him now I sure wish I could invite him over for dinner and chat. What must it have been like for him at that point in time? I enjoyed everything about the 45 minutes spent in his classroom. I liked the sound of the typewriter keys hitting the paper, and the competition of gaining speed every week. We used electric typewriters, but they were probably some of the very first models. WAY bigger than a manual typewriter, with keys almost as tall.

In those days, no other classwork was required to be typed before turning it in, few people had typewriters at home, and I am not sure they were even available in the library. I did have to type some things for college. Lots of people I knew hired out the typing, five dollars a page or something like that, but I remember the excited calm I felt while typing in that class and bought myself a Brother AX22. I do not for the life of me know what happened to that typewriter after college, I probably pawned it.

So here I am 27 years later with my beloved iPad. I have loved this thing from the very first day I brought it home. Unlike a lot of people who use them only to check email and watch Netflix, the iPad quickly became my main computer. I use it for freelance writing work and do not understand why people feel the need to cling to their laptops.

For a few years the onscreen keyboard did the job for me. When I am doing freelancing work I am a slow, methodical typer. But as I have been making the switch to fiction, I find that the built in keyboard can not keep up with me. I will type three sentences and it comes out as one long word, underlined with red. I needed a keyboard.

After much research I finally settled on Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover. It is perfect in every way. I love the way the keys look and feel and sound. In a way it brings me back to that hot classroom on the second floor of a San Diego high school. Windows wide open, letting the breeze remind us to secure our paper, Mr. Barnes and his crazy socks patrolling the room, smiling when we got it right. I am smiling now. If he were here, he would be smiling too.

 

 

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