Losing Letters
I’ve worn the letters c, d, l, and k off my computer keyboard. You would think e would have been the first to go since it’s the most used letter in the English language. But I’m betting the demise of d, l, and k has something to do with the fact that my fingers rest on them as I type. J and F are protected by little protrusions that identify them as index finger keys, anchor points for the hands of a typist. C is most likely the victim of ctrl-c. The copy shortcut.
Luckily, I don’t have to look at the keyboard as I type. My fingers just go where they need to go, thanks in large part to my mother who thought my dreams of being a writer would be helped if I knew how to type, which is how I found myself in a typing class my junior year in high school. Nowadays, I think typing may be going the way of shop and home economics in the classrooms of America’s high schools. A vestige of a different time in America.
But let’s not get overly sentimental. I like today. I like technology. I’m all in on AI. I like my smartphone. I like my digital calendar. I like having my tickets close at hand when I need them. I like pointing my phone to pay. I like walking around the supermarket with my digital shopping list. I like the way my car helps me get around. Generally speaking, the 21st century seems a pretty fine place to be, and I’m glad I’ve lived as long as I have. In summary, I like moving forward, advancing, and I’m thankful I don’t need a sign to find c, d, l and k on a qwerty keyboard.