Putting Pieces Together

In the early 70s, for my Sweet Sixteen birthday, I received a special gift. I loved writing stories and discovered a cute little blue compact Smith Corona manual typewriter I asked for and received. It was lightweight, came in a matching colour case, and was perfect for my writing.

When I reflect on how technology has developed from my teenage years, using a typewriter, to now having a cute, pink-covered iPad, I’m amazed. Some people purchase old typewriters, enjoying the feel and use of them. I couldn’t fathom not being able to hit a back button and delete my many errors when writing on the computer. Not to mention the amount of paper I would blast through if everything were still being typed.

But that was when White Out fluid was in great use. Pull the paper out of the carriage in your typewriter. Apply White-out over the error, blow on it for several seconds to dry it, then turn the carriage control back to suck the paper down and begin again. Now, things aren’t as messy as there’s White Out tape.

I’ve been working on a Lego Typewriter piece I received as a Christmas gift in 2023. When I saw it, I knew I had to have it, as it reminded me of my teen years and that little Smith Corona that I loved.

I started putting the Lego typewriter together in the winter of 2024. With 2079 pieces, I knew it would take a while, being quite detailed. At the beginning of April 2024, I broke my wrist in three places during a fall (and underwent subsequent surgery). It was difficult, even impossible, to put Lego together while healing a fracture in my dominant hand. I put the project on hold.

I also found editing and revising my young adult duology difficult to complete during the healing period. It’s been a struggle to work when healing, then with various travels and life happenings over the last year.

Both the Lego project and writing and editing my novel have helped me with patience and resilience in 2025. It felt fantastic to finish the Lego typewriter (see the bottom of this post for a working video of the Lego typewriter). Not only is it super cute, but it also gave me a sense of accomplishment.

My editing continues with some other writing projects created in between. I’m ‘patiently’ awaiting the arrival of my new children’s book, Book Bus Magic, from the publisher. Then I’ll be able to fully promote it.

In the meantime, I have new boxed Lego sets to complete, editing, more writing contests to enter, Substack posts to write, as well as living life and having fun. I find putting together Lego is almost meditative, as the concentration needed to ensure all pieces are in the right place doesn’t allow the mind to wander. I must focus, at least. Patience helps me from cursing too much. Resilience helps me recover from tough difficulties. My motto has been ‘remember why I started and don’t give up.’

I smile now, wondering how long it might have taken me to type this Substack post on my little typewriter. How much White Out I might have gone through, and how many pulled/ripped out and crumpled pieces of paper I would have wasted.

I don’t know what happened to my blue Smith Corona typewriter. As the years passed, and technology introduced word processors, then the personal computer and writing programs, I knew I no longer had a use for a ‘typewriter’, and probably passed it on.

The Lego typewriter brought me back to the past with a smile. Even though I had to concentrate to fit the pieces together, you can bet my mind wandered a little, thinking of my sweet sixteen birthday, the teen years that followed, and the changes in technology that never stop coming.

PS… This video I took shows the working parts of my Lego Typewriter. The carriage return works, and the keys, when pressed, operate one moving part:

Hugz to all, Patricia

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