One from the vault…

Volunteer Work

A folded, faded document from typing class circa 1991

Allegorical image of the triumph of the typewriter from The Story of the Typewriter (https://archive.org/details/storyoftypewrite00unse/mode/2up) and Wikimedia Commons

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Volunteer Work

I say 1991 because as I sat practicing my keyboarding skills on the ancient typewriter in a small classroom inside John Glenn High School, Operation Desert Storm had begun and The Gulf War was in full swing. Everyone was buying and wearing yellow ribbons to show support for the troops. We watched Wolf Blitzer live from a hotel reporting the bombings on CNN a world away. That was the year I turned 16. Please forgive me, my mind was on other things. For example, trying to snag some volunteer work to put in my credential file for prospective universities.

10th grade class ID

The following letter is addressed to Annapolis Hospital in order to inquire about volunteer opportunities, but it somehow takes a wild and weird philosophical turn at Albuquerque. You’ll get the gist once you read it. It’s funny to realize that I haven’t changed much at all since the writing of this some 33 years ago. I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing.

Volunteer Work

Volunteer work is rewarding to many people who choose it. This summer I choose to volunteer my usual time in front of the television to help any cause that needs attention. For example, drug addicted babies in hospitals all over the world. My counselor, Mr. Ammons has informed me that there is volunteer work available at Annapolis Hospital.

Well I think this would be a great experience for me. If only I have transportation to get there. I would love to become a doctor or a medical laboratory assistant. I love science, for some reason it enthralls my mind. Science has interested me since I was 9 or 10. Taking the most worthwhile classes in the subject as I go along in school, I find myself amazed at all the discoveries that have been made. How did some of these people ever find out about gravity, vaccinations, or even evolution. (?) Science is all an enormous mystery that we were put on earth to solve. That’s fine by my standards.

Figuring yourself out is the biggest mystery. Trying to fit in with everyone is also perplexing. Since there are so many categories to choose from a teenager, like myself, can get lost very easily in the decision. There are rich kids, poor kids, or middle class kids. Or druggies, nerds, preps, veg-heads, or The Popular People. I say Who Cares? If you have a good family that supports you and you are happy with who you are for your own reasons then you are set for life. I have all that but it’s not enough. I don’t think our country conveys the message that everyone is equal clear enough. There are still bigots in the world. Let’s face it the whole world has its ups and downs.

Bonus notes to my mom also from the typing class vault:

Dear Mom:

Hey! What’s up? Guess what I saw this morning. I saw a cat running across the street. Do you know what he had in his mouth? That silly cat had a bird in his mouth. Do you know what the bird did? That big black bird flew out of the cat’s mouth and up into a tree. Can you believe that? I thought I thought (referred to as double talk because I was too lazy to use correction tape) was seeing things. If only I had a video camera I would have won “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and we would be rich. I loved seeing that robin this morning. Susan wasn’t here today so I didn’t have to do the scene. I kind of wish we could have done it. To (too) bad Charlene Prickett was not on for you. This is the first time in a long while that I had free time to type and I am typing to you. That says a lot for you. I hope you appreciate it. Because well I’m not letting it happen again. Ha Ha! Well I’ll practice my i’s and e’s now. See ya, bye.

Happy Mother’s Day

A Mother is…

The Sunshine on a Rainy Day

Loving

Caring

Supportive

Kind

Generous

A Good Cook ha ha ha

THANKS FOR BEING MY MOTHER!!!!!!!!! (obsess much, lol)

And thanks for helping me through my silly problems.

Now all this crap can be sent lickety-split in a text. Do people even use typewriters or stand alone word processors anymore?

This share was inspired directly by

Brian Lageose

and his happy news:

Blasts from My Sordid Pasts: The Discovery

Psst… Hello! I’m going camping. I will NOT be keeping up with reading on Medium during that time. It’s not personal. I still love you. See you again soon. Thank you!🙏💙🤗