The Mysterious Draw of a Vintage Typewriter

A typewriter removes pretense as our deepest thoughts desire to find a home. It's as if our hearts belong on that thin paper wrapped around a rubber roller.

What makes typewriters so intriguing?

Put a typewriter in a public place and it draws people like a magnet. A typewriter is full of fascination to everyone, regardless of age, income, education, temperament, etc. It's as if humanity gathers around this little marvel of mechanics, inviting us into a place of simplicity. Somehow, standing in front of this little machine with its inviting keys drawing our fingers as if they've always belonged, it has the capacity to pull down barriers. For a moment, it transforms us back into relatable, humble human beings with thoughts longing to be expressed—not loud and angry or in a reactive manner—but gently, as a whisper or a hushed secret.

A typewriter transforms us back into relatable, humble human beings with thoughts longing to be expressed—not loud and angry or in a reactive manner—but gently, as a whisper or a hushed secret.

I've seen it repeatedly when I put out a typewriter in a public place: As people approach the machine with curiosity, they stop being the labels they've attached to themselves—or others have tacked onto them. Suddenly, it's about the humanity of the moment and of a person of value who has something to express. The typewriter, in the initial meeting, removes pretense, and our deepest thoughts want to find a home, as if our hearts belong on that thin paper wrapped around a rubber roller.

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Yet, once we bring our typewriter home, we quickly embrace a familiarity that dulls the pure moment of innocence. Once lowered barriers slowly rise to their previous post. However, when we quiet our mind and approach the typewriter with the curiosity and intrigue of our first encounter, it's easy to reconnect with the beauty and magic of a moment at the keys of a remarkable machine that somehow has the capacity to unlock our soul and lower our defenses.

When was the last time you took some time to reconnect with your typewriter and intentionally allowed yourself to relax into thought?

I found this typed note stuck under a typewriter. I think it reflects the idea that we have something we want to say aloud, but do not really know to whom we should share it. Perhaps, it is to ourselves that we are concerned.

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