Why do I have a photo of a typewriter, you ask? I saw two episodes of Columbo recently, and in both episodes, someone was typing on a typewriter. It brought back some memories of high school and my first office job. Allow me to rewind to when I was in high school, and I was in the Vocational Office Education for the last two years of high school, which was 1988-1989. I had completed the necessary credits early on, so I had an opportunity to be a part of this lab class, which was my favorite.
My classmates and I would fight over who would type on the newer electric typewriters because we only had a few. We would do lessons in typing without looking at the keys, and I must say I mastered that skill. We also learned how to do dictation from the tape dictation machine and 10-key.
Through this lab class, I got my first office job during my senior year in high school. I went to school for half a day and then went to work. After I graduated, they hired me full-time, fulfilling my goal of being a secretary. I wanted to be like my sister because she worked in an office as a secretary. This job taught me valuable lessons on how to gauge through office protocol, politics, gossip, and dynamics of working with women vs men, learn who you could trust and not trust, and try to hold onto my moral values and beliefs. I was one of the youngest in the office, so I had much to learn! I still remember one co-worker who introduced me to acrylic nails and how you can type just as fast and efficiently and do almost anything with them. I was immediately hooked, and she also shared her fashion tips with me. It felt good to have that one work bestie I could trust and go to if I needed help. A whole new world opened up to me and set the stage, and prepared me for my future work endeavors.
It sounds crazy, but I often think about how cool it would be to have a typewriter to hold onto those wonderful memories of where I started and where I am now.
The World of Dlo 