Typists? Nah, We Are Typers. . . I think. . .maybe

 

Friday night in Deming at the Grant house

Recently, my wife and I have been typing up a storm in the evenings doing exercises. She is more into formatting endeavors (tonight focusing on vertical and horizontal centering, which is not an automatic task on a typewriter), whereas I continue with finger-strength-building exercises - more of those seek jade practices. 

OK, so it's not like the Friday nights you might remember in your 20s and 30s, but it's still kind of romantic, don't you think? 

Anyway, a thought crossed my mind when I said to Marie: "So we've become Friday night typists." 

Almost as soon as the words left my mouth, that word sounded odd. Typists? Really? The word typist has, in my mind anyway, a professional connotation. If you are a typist then that is your job or a part of your job skill set. We are not professional typists. We are not even really good typists. We just like to type. . .on typewriters, and manual ones at that. So, what does that make us?

In the old days, another word for typist was typer, and I sort of like that term better.  Since typist has taken on the professional connotation, typer just sounds like a person who types. . .like a dreamer dreams, and a lounger lounges, and a loiterer loiters. And we are sort of doing all of those three things when we type. So, I think the term typer seems more neutral, less professional, and more exact. It also sounds old fashioned, which might be appropriate for an activity that rises from a world that is generated, or regenerated, from the realm of the past. . . from a sort of analog nostalgia. 

Or maybe there is another term that clearly says we type for fun not professionally or even for professional reasons - we just type because it feels good to do it on a manual typewriter. We are typewritists? I am not sure the world is ready for that one. We are typospherians? I guess that works, but there are two problems with it. First, that term has a broader meaning - a member of the typosphere and thus possessing an enthusiasm and almost evangelical obsession with the world of typing and typewriters, not just the act of typing.  Secondly, most people have no idea what it even means. 

Yes, I am not sure what we ultimately pick, but no rush, so for the time being I think we'll stick with typers. If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to offer them up in the comments.