The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

In my high school typing class we had to type to music. Feet flat! Wrists up! Now Type! It was supposed to increase our speed and accuracy. I have to wonder if maybe there was more to it than that. There is something almost musical about the sound of the keys as you type.

I enjoy writing longhand but there is something special when I do my writing right on the computer. Perhaps it’s because I can type faster than I can write so my thoughts can flow more easily. Perhaps it is the sound of the keys themselves. The rhythm allows me to slip into a meditative state by focussing on the rhythm which lets the thoughts come more easily. Most likely it’s the combination of the two.

Whatever it is, I feel powerful when I type. When I place my hands on the keyboard of my computer I feel a surge of power run through my palms and into my fingertips. I get a thrill just under my ribcage and my breathing speeds up ever so slightly. I wonder if this is how musicians feel.

I always wanted to learn the piano but never did. I was never quite coordinated enough to get hands, feet, eyes, ears and brain working together. Somehow, when I type (read: write) I have managed to get fingers and brain to work together. When I hit my stride and the words are flowing, something magical happens. I realize now that this is my real instrument.

Baptism

Today I went for a walk, hoping to clear my mind. On the way home I came across a family on their bikes. We were moving at a similar pace since they had a couple of children, one being towed behind the father, the older daughter – probably about 4 years old – riding her little pink bike. For the remainder of the Lyndale stretch they were within eyesight and earshot.

Lyndale Drive is closed to thru-traffic on Sundays and holidays so every time a car approached the father would weave across the road with his bike to prevent them from passing, encouraging his wife and daughter to do the same. When the car finally did pass he would yell at the driver. I found myself getting drawn into the unfolding drama. Whatever calm I had gained during the earlier part of my walk was lost. It was like a poison entering my system. I could feel negativity building in my entire body. I started composing a lecture in my head, reprimanding him for putting his family in danger simply to make a point.

Instead, I turned off at the next cross-street while they continued on straight. They were out of site but the I could still feel the negativity pumping through my veins. At that point, the previously blue sky opened up and it began to pour. Despite the fact that I was completely soaked, I felt cleansed and happier than I had in days; all of my negativity washed away. Remember the feeling of running through the sprinkler on a really hot summer day; the sheer delight at getting completely soaked? That’s what I felt walking home in the rain today.