Skills

In the past 40 years I've learnt how to do a few things (in no particular order):
  • baking (cooking not so much)
  • being a mother (being a wife not so much, still learning that one)
  • driving
  • walking
  • talking
  • writing
  • reading
  • listening (still practicing this one)
  • knitting
  • making bobbin lace
  • sewing - embroidery, hardanger, crewel work (making clothes not so much)
  • touch typing
  • friendship ~ how to be a friend and the value of friends
There may be more. Over the years there are also skills I've learnt, used for a bit and then lost.

Many years ago I was a student at the North of England Higher Secretarial College. In the days when being a Secretary was a career in itself and something to be proud off we were taught not only touch typing and shorthand but the importance of keeping a black tie in your desk drawer (because your boss would always be a man!), how to get in and out of a car (yes we really did that) and other life skills. I will point out that this was 20 years ago - Thatcher telling us we could have it all whilst in quite classrooms all over England young women were being taught how to look after Men so they could do their jobs efficiently and effectively.


Over the years I've let my Shorthand skills lie dormant - I've never really had much use for them. However in my current job two colleagues use their shorthand all the time and I've found shortforms keep falling off my pencil.

My brain cells are firing up and we'll see how long it takes to get those skills back. I used to think in shorthand - maybe it's like being bilingual - this morning when I was walking the dog my thoughts were once again in shorthand - what fun!!!

Comments

Campfire said…
I must read it closer when it's not 23.10hrs! I too used to think in shorthand, like I sometimes think in German nowadays & used to do.

Not so many people use it nowadays. I used to use it taking notes in court! I've just found your blog from creative living & am going to have another look tomorrow. Looks really interesting.
Anne Marie said…
This is the way I right. I could of course substitute "this is the ...... " that an apparent gain in brevity; but as a matter of fact it takes longer to contract. Writing shorthand with the maximum of contraction is like getting telegrams: Unless one is in constant practise it takes longer to devise the contractions than to write in full; and I now never think of contracting except by ordinary ....
How's that? I've not used my shorthand at work since 2002 as I went on to doing graphics so only maybe used it for personal use. Can't think of the words with dots.

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