When I was started high school, my mom told me "Whatever you do in high school, make sure you learn typing. If you learn to type, you'll always have a job." Now this was back in the day when you learned to type on an actual typewriter with correction tape and all. I took typing as instructed. I remember my typing teacher hating me. She told me I should look into another skill because I would never make it as a secretary. That's what they were called back in the day. Not Administrative Assistants or any of the other many cool titles. They were secretaries. Let me just say that true secretaries could work circles around the modern day Admin Asst. Anywho, I muddled my way through typing and somewhere along the way I actually picked up the skill. I think my teacher had issues with me because like all things my brain processes them slightly different. Basically, I used the wrong fingers. Seriously, who cares if I don't use my middle finger to type a C? I use my index finger and it works for me. I will have to say my mother was right. The one thing that got me out of part-time retail jobs and waitress gigs, was that I could type. Eventually, I picked up my speed and now on an average day I type anywhere between 60 and 85 wpm. Not that I actually use it at my day job now but it comes in handy when I'm on a roll with a story idea or a poem or just a rant about any number of thing.
So just as my mother advised, I always tell the younger folk (ok my kids) to learn typing...or rather keyboarding as it is now. The odd thing is though, is that they really don't teach it at my kids school. Weird I know. I mean they learn computer skills as soon as the cut the cord these days but no keyboarding. So I found a way to at least work on it with them at home. There's several programs out there that teach typing. They've all got their pros and cons. Mostly the price tag. But there's also several great websites that have typing games that challenge and teach anyone and everyone to type or improve their typing.
Whatever you decide to get into in life, it never hurts to learn the keyboard. I'm glad I listened to my mother for at least one thing she told me in life. Well, ok, more than one thing but typing or keyboarding or whatever it is you want to call it, is now one of those essential skills that comes in handy for everyone.
Now for my "theme" of the A to Z Challenge:
Today's homophone...
There (adverb) describes a location
For example, You can find your shoes over there.
Their (possessive adjective) belongs to someone or something.
For example, The readers waited anxiously for their next blog post to be read.
They're ( short form "they are")
For example, They're not always allowed to run freely around the blogsphere.
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| Click to be transported to a list of merry bloggers! |
Happy Reading Everyone!
2 comments:
I remember taking keyboarding in high school. I hated it. I also can type pretty well myself but don't use the proper fingers with each keys! :)
Another great site that a lot of schools use (and that kids can use on their home computer or iPad) is TypingWeb. It's a typing tutor and it also has games. Yhe best part... it's FREE! Their site is www.typingweb.com
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