Yesterday I wrote a letter. An actual physical letter. My handwriting being as terrible as it is, I typewrote it.

I acquired a 1937 Smith Premier ‘portable’ typewriter a little while ago. Best charity shop find ever! It could use a little renovation, which I intend to do…. Eventually. For the time being it works quite nicely.

It’s interesting to see that it’s missing some symbols. Notably, the exclamation mark, though the question mark is present. It also doesn’t have a 0 key, capital O is used interchangeably.

I can, however, write emoji with it. There’s something about that… making 21st century symbols on a 20th century machine, that is… Pleasing.

It’s a lovely bit of kit. Don’t get me wrong, I love computers and the ability to edit and revise my writings. The restriction of being unable to delete can be a blessing as well as a curse.

I love it for letter writing because it keeps me honest — allows me to write in a true stream of consciousness style. Straight from the heart, as it were. Immortalising my spelling mistakes is no fun though!

In a practical sense, a word processor is better than a typewriter. But there’s something a little magical about using one. And in specific situations, like letter writing, perhaps it can even be better. It certainly feels more personal.

And the ‘thwack’ of hammer on paper is just gloriously satisfying. No mechanical keyboard can quite replace it.

Thought for the day:

“True alchemists don’t change lead into gold; they change the world into worlds” — Willam H. Gass