After all the struggle with my typewriter, I reasoned that it would be best to jot down everything and then type the text. I devoted days and nights to that one task. I was a mess when I eventually finished everything.
My father asked me if I wanted to pursue that career path in the future because he was concerned about me. "You lock yourself in that room; you do not see anyone; you do not talk to us very much anymore; it seems like you are lost in your thoughts," he remarked.
"You should get out and have some fun! Is that what you want for yourself?"
I listened to everything he said, and the answer was definitely ‘yes’.
Photo by Claire Kelly on Unsplash
Sadness and disappointment struck me hard, though, when I was turned down for the job at the printing company. It felt like all of that dedication of my time and all of my effort to present a nice translation had been in vain! I guess I don’t have to say that those feelings would strike me so many more times in the future that they would become the new normal for me.
Despite the initial disappointment of not getting the job, I found a new path in teaching English as a second language. It was a rewarding experience, and I was able to touch many lives through my work. My students ranged from young children to pilots and air traffic controllers, from beginners to fluent business people. Each one of them brought a unique perspective and enriched my life in their own way.
Alongside my teaching career, I continued to pursue my passion for translation. I took on various translation jobs for family, friends, and students. The subjects were diverse, ranging from dentistry to sewage systems, from cover letters and CVs to post-graduate theses. The amount of research required was sometimes overwhelming, but it was always worth it. Each job was a learning experience, and I found it fascinating.
Looking back, I realise that old Saem, the Supreme Alien Entity of Mars, was not plotting against me. Instead, it was pushing me to my limits, testing my resilience, and helping me discover my true potential. The trials and tribulations I faced were not obstacles, but stepping stones on my path. Going through the year 2022 was a challenge for me. I was looking after my parents all on my own. My 3 children were living away, and I never felt so
lonely! I couldn’t talk to my parents because they were not living in this world anymore; they lived in their private bubble.
My sister, who was living in a country town, rang me one day, saying that she was coming for a visit and that maybe she was going to stay with us for a few weeks. She was feeling unwell.
She was buying a stairway to heaven but nobody knew.
The weeks turned into months and the months into a year, and, in June 2023, she passed away. Her spirit was crying for leaving.. so she left.
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow? And did you know your stairway lies on the whispering wind?
My sister will always be with me, like the wind that blows from the skies and touches my face.
It helped me, and it may help others, to learn touch-typing. It would save time and energy not having to painstakingly locate each key in succession. My mother taught me at the age of 9, on a "hand-wound" Adler typebar typewriter, long before word processing existed. I did a refresher course of a few weeks at night school in my twenties. I can currently type English text efficiently in QWERTY on an AZERTY computer keyboard, and I fare reasonably well typing AZERTY for French. I don't think it's beyond anyone's reach to achieve reasonable keyboard fluency. I hope this will encourage other volunteers.
With best wishes,
Adam Warren.
Thank you for that beautiful account.
Your sister's passing reminds me of St. Benedict visiting his sister, Scholastica, at her nunnery. She earnestly begged him to stay, and prayed for him to be prevented from returning to his monastery. As it happened, a violent thunderstorm prevented St. Benedict from leaving, and his sister passed away in his company, as she had sensed she would. This account is from the Dialogues of Pope St. Gregory the Great, a discerning scholar.
I venture to parenthesise that keyboard mastery is taught, not ingrained: I received training, first at the age of 9 on an Adler manual typebar typewriter at my Canadian mother's hands using a North American training manual, and subsequently in my…
Thanks for sharing you story with us, I'm sorry for your sister's passing. 😪
So moving Sylvia! Thank you for sharing this very personal experience! You write beautifully ❤️
I cried with you, Silvia, about your sister's situation. Loved people always go before we would like them to... Thank you very much for sharing!