As part of my English Literature syllabus at school I studied the classic, The Mayor of Casterbridge. I use the word studied very lightly. As I entered the hall to take my exam, I remember asking my best friend Joanne, “just tell me what happened at the end”. What can I say? I was never really academic to say the least and I loathed exams. I failed – obviously! Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt USD21359361 ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
I returned to academia some years later and tried my hand as a mature student, this time managing to complete a Psychology degree. However, the end was like pulling teeth to just reach the finish line. The tears, stress and nightmares of worrying about how ‘non-academic’ I actually was, assignment deadlines and learning about things that will NEVER help me get by in life meant that my graduation signalled the end of academia for me.
There has been one exception along the way. One qualification that stands tall above all the others for helping me find work and earn a living. This one qualification stands out in my life as being a door opener and essential key for a multitude of fulfilling life experiences. It was in fact an afterthought at the time, a qualification that kids who had ‘nothing else better to do’, took. A gap filling course.
It was typing.
I was 17 years old at the time when I began lessons to learn how to type tackling the Qwerty keyboard on a real typewriter. I learnt the old fashioned way….tap, tap, tap….. A, A, A…..L, L, L…..
I spent an entire year perfecting the art of knowing how to type. I qualified with an A+ in typing and at the time, had no real idea how incredibly beneficial it would be.
In short, quite literally, it took me around the world. The great thing about knowing how to type (well and fast) is that you can take this skill absolutely anywhere with you. Efficient keyboard skills are up there when it comes to getting things done fast. As an online customer service rep in Australia, a secretary in London, business woman, bookkeeper, blogger, editor, to current day writer, my efficient keyboard skills have helped shape me professionally over the last 30 odd years.
Undoubtedly, education is important, learning is not linear and we should not rule anything out as being useful or not useful. As I watch my children navigate their way through school, I remind myself that often the things that we think are important or significant often turn out not to be the case. And vice versa.
So, thank you Mrs Typing teacher, I don’t remember your name but I thank you very much!
