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My brothers have been a big influence in my life. My brothers are
different in some ways but similar in so many ways. I am the youngest of the
four brothers, and I learned a lot from them.
When I was in the 8th grade preparing to preregister for 9th grade at
O’Leary Junior High, one of my brothers suggested that I should take typing in
the 9th grade not the 10th grade which was normal. He took typing in the 10th grade.
He said the typing teacher at Twin Falls High School had some issues
with him. It involved a sandwich and electric typewriters. It seems that my
brother did not really like typing, the teacher, and perhaps school in general.
The fact that the typing teacher had been teaching since the early 40’s
predating electric typewriters was not the issue. It seems that my brother took
a bite out of her sandwich when she was not looking and he also sabotaged one
of the electric typewriters.
I took his advice and took typing in the 9th grade. I knew
my brothers well.
That same fall with I was in the 9th grade, I took Drivers
Education. That first day, the teacher said, “Do you have any brothers?”
“Hmmm….” I thought this might be a trick question. I replied, “Dan?”
He thought about it, and said, “No. I did not know Dan. Any others?”
I responded quickly, “Maybe Steve?”
“I think I remember him, but don’t you have another brother,” he asked?
I sighed, and said, “Dirk.”
“Ah Hah! Dirk! I assume you think you can drive already because of
Dirk!”
“Yep!” I said. Honestly, I was proud of him.
He always pushed boundaries, and always wished that I had his courage. Even now.
I was so glad to take typing in the 9th grade. I could whiz
through the typical test typing:
“Now is the time for
all good men to come to the aid of their country” in no time flat!
Not just
because of my ill-fated brother’s experience, It turned out to be the best class
ever.
Typing prepared me for life. I wrote a regular column in my high
school newspaper. After that, in college, word processing changed my life! I
was just the fastest typist around. I could pound out articles, reports, op-ed pieces,
and detailed, nuanced and thorough research written projects with no problems.
The stroke halted that in one instant.
I could not even remember what a letter was let alone the alphabet. The concept of typing was just “gone.” Because
of apraxia and aphasia, when my therapist told me that “You HAVE to start
writing again,” I said, “I cannot.”
Apraxia (from Greek praxis, an act, work, or
deed[1]) is the inability to execute learned purposeful
movements,[2] despite
having the desire and the physical capacity to perform the movements. Apraxia
is an acquired disorder of motor
planning, but is not caused
by incoordination, sensory loss, or failure to comprehend simple commands
(which can be tested by asking the person to recognize the correct movement
from a series). It is caused by damage to specific areas of the cerebrum.
Apraxia should not be confused with ataxia, a lack of
coordination of movements; Aphasia,
an inability to produce and/or comprehend language; abulia, the lack of
desire to carry out an action; or allochiria,
in which patients perceive stimuli to one side of the body as occurring on the
other. Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is the developmental disorder of motor
planning.
I have been
blogging for years, and after the stroke, it was very hard for me in many ways.
Because of Apraxia, when I type the letters “P” and “K” are
simply gone.
That old test when I type “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country” is incredibly
difficult.
When I write this
blog, I do not look at the keys but I have to “talk” when I write. Here is a
test: When I copy this text “Now is the
time for all good men to come to the aid of their country”, this is with I
type: “Now is the time for all good men
to come to the aid of their countyur.”
Now! This is real
time! I just did this now. One mistake! Perhaps I am
getting better!
In honor of my brother, I will have a sandwich and keep typing!
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