Type-O

 

I'm beginning to worry about myself little bit. I wonder if I'm becoming more lazy than I already am in this kind of vexes me. Case in point, Dragon Dictate, the software I use for my writing, like this blog. I've kind of gotten to the point that if dragons not working perfectly I'm not going to write. Right now, the software seems to be acting appropriately like it knows I'm getting vexed and upset with its seemingly inability to comprehend or even hear what I'm saying. I've been trying to write this blog for the last 20 some minutes and seemed to me that I cannot get the computer to accurately here what I'm dictating. Of course I'm sure love you readers are saying “oh, come on Mark take some responsibility.”some nights I just want to whine. Finally, the software's acting fine.

As I was saying I used to love to use my hands – – what little use they are – – to hammer out whatever I was writing on the typewriter whether it is manual or electric. I especially enjoyed the big Selectric's when they came out with their “mistake removal capability”. The old Selectric had a back- function with the ability to correct an error should you make one and I made a mess of errors. I typically would wear the magic error removal tape off the typewriter. I like the electronic/metallic “Cha- chunk” noise machine made as you work the typewriter. I loved the to type and make words and sentences appear on the paper. Sadly, I am pretty lazy myself and don't do very well proofreading and then correcting errors. My end of the document behavior was to get the paper out and filed away as soon as possible. I just have a problem rereading something I'd just written or typed. That old time approach to writing on paper via a typewriter whether manual or electric is somewhere between therapeutic and orgasmic for me. I envy people who actually have and dexterity and training on how to really type. I suffered through occupational therapy when I was going to rehabilitation at the old Elks rehabilitation center in Boise Idaho, typing with a and-peg on my right side and enough finger strength of my left and actually do a pretty decent job typing. That was what I would do every day from about 3 PM to 4 PM in the occupational therapy room with the old Selectric typewriter which was new in those days and quite exotic.

However now I doubt if I'd be caught dead hunt in picking my way through a keyboard to type the document once I have learned to use Dragon Dictate (the talk to text software I use)and other interesting pieces of writing software. I often saw myself as a cub reporter hacking out the story at my local newspaper. I wonder if I have the courage and the focus to write a whole document I think going to give it a try just not tonight…