I started a project with the kids two days ago in which they dictate stories to me, and I type the words at the bottom of blank pieces of paper. They take each page as I type it and add the illustrations at the top, gradually building up a book that to be stapled together when complete.

When we started out, I was using my old Smith-Corona Super typewriter. My dad originally bought it in the mid-1950s, and thanks to a local typewriter repair shop—yes, we have a typewriter repair shop in my town—it is still in good working order.

Unfortunately, it developed an issue yesterday where the carriage stopped advancing with each keystroke, causing characters to double-type over the preceding ones. Now I have had to continue the story-writing project by typing up the pages for them on my laptop.

While the kids are still enjoying our project, I am struck by how much more engaging it was to be typing on the typewriter than on this laptop.

I’d better get to the repair shop this week.