Throwback Thursday

I’ve mentioned before that I volunteer at an elementary school near my church. I’m a “Reading Club” sponsor, which means I go every week at lunchtime and read with three girls. Lunch is only 30 minutes, and we chat a little bit too, so it’s slow going through Dear Mr. Henshaw, which was the Newberry award winning book in 1984. Also, I’m having to stop and do some explaining every now and then.

The girls didn’t know what a trailer park was, and they’re unfamiliar with terms referring to the dad in the story, who drives an eighteen-wheeler. But those aren’t so much dated issues as they are just out of the experience of these girls.

I’ve taken maps of California so they can see where all the action’s happening. A couple of weeks ago, we read how young Leigh Botts (the protagonist, the kid who’s writing to Mr. Henshaw) describes how he’s going to enter a writing competition at school. The winners will be “published” in a book, but it’s just a mimeographed book printed in the school office.

The girl who was reading aloud stumbled over the word “mimeograph.”

“What?” she said, after I told her the word.

“Mimeograph. It’s like a copier. Sort of. It’s how they made copies in schools when I was your age.”

As I began trying to describe how a mimeograph worked, I struggled to find the right words, and spent quite a bit of time moving my hands and arms in the action of working such a machine, which did not help at all. Finally one of the girls gently asked, “You don’t know what it is?”

“No,” I assured all of them. “I DO know what it is. I’ve used one. Many times. I’m just not very good at describing it. When I was Student Teaching,” I went on, “I used one all the time. Almost every day.” Truly, I did! “But I will look it up and figure out how to explain it better.” Or at all.

The next day, (and yes, I went back the next day, because a couple of weeks ago they said, “Can you come two days, instead of just one?” and there was not a reason in the world why I couldn’t come two days, so now I am) one of them asked, “Did you look up that copy thing?”

And I had to say “no.” Kevin and April and Baby Peter were coming for Easter weekend and I had been cleaning and cooking. “But I will. I definitely will.”

This week, as I was getting out of bed, I thought, “Oh, man! Mimeograph!!”

I found lots of drawings and photos of mimeograph machines, but no videos, which I really hoped for. And, I learned an amazing thing. Mimeograph and Spirit Duplicating are two completely different things. Spirit Duplicated copies were called Dittos. They were the purple copies that had such a distinctive smell that folks my age remember from our school days.

Dittos were what I had made so many of in those weeks of student teaching. But, I actually had used a mimeograph machine when I worked at my church, years and years ago. I didn’t use it for very long, because they got a copier, and whew, what a relief. I’m not as accurate a typist as one needs to be to type the stencils that went on a mimeograph. Typos are rather time-consuming to correct on a mimeo stencil. I do still recall that.

So, I went to school armed with white paper, some carbon paper (to show them another way people used to make copies), and a paper with some snowflakes punched out of it, to be sure they understood what a stencil was (I don’t have a great variety of paper punches), which is how mimeograph works. I also needed to ask if they knew what a typewriter was. Two said yes, and they explained to the third, “You know, it’s like a computer.” She nodded.

I started with the carbon paper, explaining that if I wrote a letter and wanted a copy (back before copiers were invented), I would use carbon paper. I put a piece of paper over and one under a piece of carbon paper and began to write and dictate aloud, “Dear… Mister…” I then said and wrote, “Smith.” “Henshaw!” said one girl. Oh, of course. I crossed out the “Smith,” and wrote “Henshaw.” Then, I pulled the top paper and carbon paper away so they could see the copy. They. Were. Blown. Away!

“WOW!!!!!”

I also had a document that had been mimeographed (from old church records that David has) and two sheets that were purple printed dittos (from my own school papers that Mother had kept). I explained how those machines functioned to produce copies.

One girl looked at the math paper and said, astounded, “Does that say 1959!?!”

“Yes, it does. In 1959 I was a third grader.” It’s a miracle that they didn’t think I must have done my math with a chisel and a rock.

“Is this how you wrote?” asked one girl as she examined a ditto. She showed it to the others.

“You wrote in cursive?!?” another asked.

“When we were in the third grade, “ I explained. “Everyone learned to write cursive. And from then on, all through school, everyone wrote in cursive.” They were flabbergasted.

“Write our names in cursive,” they said. And I did, over carbon paper, and then showed them the copy. “We want to try,” they said. But time was running out for us.

Two were finished with their lunches and I sent them down to the office with a note asking for some additional paper and three paper clips. When they returned, I made each of them a carbon paper sandwich with clean, white paper on both sides, clipped together, and a caution that the inky side might get on their fingers and maybe clothes, so be careful.I can only imagine how they will amuse their families tonight.

God spoke to Moses: “See what I’ve done; I’ve personally chosen Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur of the tribe of Judah. I’ve filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him skill and know-how and expertise in every kind of craft to create designs and work in gold, silver, and bronze; to cut and set gemstones; to carve wood—he’s an all-around craftsman.

Exodus 31:1-5 (The Message)

God equips, informs, guides, and grows us. Oh, the things that have been invented and will be invented! And of course, the challenge of how we choose to use them. I’m amazed that the printer that sits in on a shelf in front of me will print what I write, will copy what I put on it, and will scan all sorts of things that I can e-mail, text, and/or print. Sometimes modern life seems alarming. But it’s also pretty amazing!

When I signed out in the school office, I thanked the secretary for the supplies and explained why I had needed them. And shared the fun of watching how the girls reacted to the old-fashioned carbon paper. We wondered if you can still get carbon paper, and commented on how children don’t learn cursive any more, at all. Later, I checked both Amazon and Office Depot and you can order it online. And I did find videos, which I’m excited to show the girls next time.

mimeograph video

spirit duplicator