A Very Special Dvorak Update

For those of you who have been following my blog, you may recall that I’ve been making the transition from using a standard “qwerty” typewriting keyboard to the Dvorak layout.
Here it is:

I’ve practiced just about every day, trying to pick up my speed and I’m averaging about 60-65 words per minute on Dvorak. That’s still not up to my Qwerty speed, but all good things will come eventually.

Anyway, I’ve been awfully excited over this endeavor but no one else seems to share my enthusiasm or interest in the Dvorak keyboard.

I was all alone in this exciting endeavor and I really wanted someone I could share this with.
But who?

There had to be someone. . . .

How about my typing teacher from high school?

I had taken Typing I and Typing II from her during my freshman and sophomore years and I was one of her better students. Surely, she would be interested in my conversion to the Dvorak keyboard!

I looked her up. She still had the same phone number. (Her son and I had been friends since the 5th grade.)

So, yes, I called up my typing teacher from 35 years ago so that I could have someone to talk about the Dvorak keyboard with.

She was now in her early seventies, remembered me well, and was happy to hear from me. I told her how valuable her typing courses had been. (and they were – in Typing II, we learned how to type business letters, college research papers, resumes, cover letters and the like.)

I told her about the Dvorak keyboard and, yes, she found that interesting.

Then, she told me that her husband and her son both passed away back in 1991.
Wow.
I listened and it was really nice to hear her open up to me and tell me how difficult all that had been.

Then, she told me that last year, she was diagnose with advanced breast cancer and how difficult all the past months of chemotherapy had been.

She told me that she’s been seeing someone now for four years in another town and how supportive he’s been.

My typing teacher from 35 years ago and I talked on the phone for over two hours. We really connected. I ended up calling to tell her about the stupid Dvorak keyboard and, instead, I ended up with a new friend.

I agreed to stop by for a visit when I go down to Texas next month. I’m really looking forward to it.

(I’ll be sure to bring my Dvorak keyboard.)