Ed's Big Adventure

This typewriter joined our family after going unloved for several decades in storage as a technological revolution swept the world. Incorporating it into daily life has revolutionized my life.

1. “I really enjoyed writing that letter to my Dad.” I don’t believe this statement has ever passed from my lips, but yes, I actually said this!
2. Frequent mistakes (spelling errors, forgotten spaces, endless apostrophe issues, etc) are actually helpful. Charming, even. There’s no going back, which exorcizes my perfectionist tendencies.
3. I’m keeping a daily journal for the first time in years. Writing by hand is painful, which seems to have cut back on journaling and letter writing. The typewriter is resurrecting these long lost joys.
4. This machine requires no warming up. Insert paper and immediately make music.
5. It is a beautiful work of art that I get to touch every day. An immense amount of engineering and craftsmanship went into creating this 50-year-old object of intense practicality. It operates a lot like a piano, causing me to wonder if that instrument may have been the inspiration.
6. This has kept me writing during a strange period between book projects. I often don’t have much to say, but feel compelled to keep tapping out a rhythm. This list, for example, was produced after running out of thoughts a third of the way down the page.
7. The process is absolutely joyful. Ding! Pull the carriage back manually, and you’ll understand the origin of the “Return” button. Being unfamiliar with this, I very nearly knocked my coffee over on the first day. Grant it a wide berth!

8. I’m writing more freely, less concerned with finding that perfect word, phrase, etc. That all can be done in the re-writing process. Might this be the perfect tool for creating first drafts?

9. It somehow promotes a state of gratitude, perhaps because I’m capturing these small moments again. This is absolute gold. A writer observes and refuses to ignore small joys.

10. My weird fetish to avoid waste is now a strength. I hate to waste paper, so feel compelled to fill the page. Once again, all these bullet points arrived after my mind went blank. This bodes well for my continuing development as a writer.

11. So, I can type on the back side of papers I wish to save but previously had no place to store. They become an unusual time capsule (farm invoices with small mistakes, pieces of mail bringing good news or odd interests, etc). These are now raw materials for jotting down thoughts. One page a day, compiled in a binder. Simple. (Usually I use a fresh page, but I like the idea of an occasional oddball folded into the journal.)

12. I no longer begin my day on screens. Also, throughout the day, I’m excited to get back to my beloved typewriter. There is no itch to be on the computer. None! It felt incredibly weird to sit before a harsh glare while inserting these lines into the World Wide Web.

13. This compulsion to tap out a rhythm has me acting immediately when I feel a sudden stirring to write something. Some years ago, for example, I felt compelled to write a letter to an elderly neighbor who had grown bitter toward me over a petty lawn issue. I never did write those lines meant to extend an olive branch, and have long regretted it. He’s dead now.

Yesterday, shortly after becoming aware of another conflict, I wrote that letter with gusto, filling the house with music in the process. Yes, I loved writing it. Knowing that I won’t spend the next 50 years in regret is a source of joy.

14. Every morning my son comments about how much he enjoyed hearing my typing. On the cusp of entering school for welding, writing has never interested him. And yet, he said maybe I will try writing a letter on that thing. It’s infectious!

15. Being a manual, there’s no cord to contend with or a nagging need to charge it up. I carried it with me on a recent farm visit, but was delighted to discover that Farmer John had an even nicer typewriter for me to take out on a spin. While the farmers enjoyed their nap, newlyweds who I imagine spooning while drifting off, I tapped out a single page. That’s always the goal. Just one page. So achievable!

And, amazingly, a bear walked by in the distance as I filled it…