Happy New Year

I wanted to take this opportunity to wish anyone who might be reading this blog a happy new year. The fact that The Typewritemosphere has passed from one year into the next hardly seems worthy of celebration as it’s still just a week old at this point in time. However, the fact that we all managed to survive 2020 is worthy of celebration. It is hard to imagine that 2021 won’t be an improvement over 2020 as 2020 managed to set the bar pretty low. But last year did have a few notable bright spots for me personally such as being able to spend a lot of additional time with my family. I truly consider that to be a blessing at this stage of my life.

The other bright spot that I’ve noted previously was the reconnection that I made with typewriting (and typewriters). This component of my time has seemingly taken on a life of it’s own. What started with a seemingly innocent purchase of a single typewriter (a 1966 Olympia SM9) somehow morphed into owning a total of eight machines in all before 2020 came to a close. This change is reflected in the space that is being consumed by portable typewriter cases. It can also be seen in the appearance of the small space that I’ve dedicated to typewriting itself. What began as a clean space free of clutter has become a bit of a mess. Whereas this space once featured nothing more than a lamp, a typing pad, a small organizer (containing pens, a bottle of wite-out, some small notecards and a container of KO-REC-TYPE strips as I’ve yet to come to grips with my typing imperfections, failing to embrace them for the time being), and a copy of Follett’s “50,000 Words”, it now resembles a small-scale typewriter repair shop. There are small tools strewn about this space along with a variety of small brushes and a dirty microfiber towel )from cleaning up the messes that I’ve made, ironically enough) now occupying this same space once dedicated solely to writing.

That’s okay, I’ve come to enjoy tinkering with these machines almost as much as I enjoy writing with them. Still, I’m going to clean this space up a bit once I’m done typing this note. I handle the dirtier jobs out in the garage where I have an air compressor and plenty of ventilation (good to have when dealing with mineral spirits and the like). But the garage isn’t heated and things can get a bit nippy as far as the weather goes here in Oregon this time of the year. So I just started to move more of my tinkering operation to my dedicated writing space over time. I’m guessing that I’m not the only one to have done so. I’m just chalking this up to becoming a typewriter enthusiast. While the small collection of supplies and small tools dedicated to typewriter repairs and adjustment, as well as to typewriting itself is the giveaway in my case, I would guess that there are plenty of other indicators that someone is a typewriter nut. If you’ve got any to share, please leave me a comment.

Here’s to a new year filled with good typewriter-related fortune, good times and good health.

(Typed with a 1972 Olympia SM9.)

Afterthoughts: I said that I was going to clean up my typing space after finishing the above note — I didn’t. Not long after finishing with the typing of my Happy New Year note, I received an email in response to an inquiry I had made about typewriter that was for sale locally. That led to an adventure that will ultimately serve as a future blog post. Tidying up my writing space will have to wait until tomorrow. I guess I’m currently living with the approach of typewriters before tidying.