We don?t need to become the ?stuck key?

In my last article I discussed a little bit about typewriter and computer keyboards. Today I want to go into a different direction with the keyboard idea I started. As you might remember, I said I had some keys that weren?t working. When you have three or four keys that don?t work, it can make the job of using an office machine doubly hard.

Even when you have to give the keys a little nudge to get them to operate, as I have been having to do, it takes time.

I was just setting here, counting the keys on my keyboard, and I counted 99. With that many keys, what would be the big deal if three or four didn?t want to work? I?ve got approximately 95 other keys, why don?t I just use those, and not worry about those that are refusing to work? Most of you knew that all the keys on a computer?s keyboard have a specific function. And there are several keys, when working simultaneously with other keys can perform various and useful functions. If they do not do their primary obligation, neither will they perform the extra-curricular activities that they were designed to do.

Now I want to try to apply this to man and his every day living. In the work force today, all should have a job to do. How do we feel about that job? Do we feel good enough to give it all we?ve got, or do we want to be a ?sticky key? and mess up everything. Many jobs have been lost because of a ?sticky key? problem. Yes ?sticky keys!? No pride in what they should have been doing. America used to take pride in what they made and produced. I remember when foreign made goods were considered junk and no one would buy anything unless ?Made in America? was stamped thereon.

I had a friend who was the Zenith television dealer here. I visited their business quite often and on one of those visits he told me American technology brought about the video tape recorder. When they first came on the market they sold for something like $900. People from other countries came and bought some of the VCRs and took them to their country, took them apart, studied them. They then begin to manufacture them with better quality at a much cheaper price. What does this say about American skill? Now a VCR can be bought for less than $50 and many of them have double decks.

How many of us take real pride in the things we do? I hesitate using the word pride, realizing ?pride goes before a fall.? But unless we have some pride in what we do, what we may accomplish may be worthless. If all of our manufacturers go to other parts of the world, what will the American people be left with?

If we continue being the ?stuck key,? we aren?t worth much.