Boomer Bytes: My Life in Office Tech
Welcome to My Very First Blog!
Let me introduce myself. I’m Karen. Yes, that name—but I promise I’m not a “Karen.” And to top it off, I’m a Boomer (and damn proud of it!). Talk about a double whammy.
So, what can you expect from me? I’ll probably make mistakes, bore some people, make others laugh, and maybe even piss a few folks off—so basically, just another day in my regular life!
I’ve spent many, many years as an administrative professional. While I’m not retired yet, I’m setting up my retirement gig as a Virtual Assistant (VA). I love admin work and helping people, so why not keep doing what I enjoy? Plus, let’s be real—the government pension isn’t exactly rolling in the big bucks after 45+ years of paying taxes.
That being said, this blog won’t just be about being a VA or business tips. I might wander into topics that interest me, annoy me, or amuse me. If you’re up for the ride, great! If not, well, as someone once said to me, “I’m not a good fit for everyone.”
A Stroll Down Memory Lane: Office Equipment Through the Ages
The other day, I started thinking about all the office equipment I’ve used over the years. Let me tell you—things have changed!
The Workout That Was a Manual Typewriter
When I started, I used a manual typewriter—no electricity, just brute force. You had to hammer those keys like your life depended on it. And when you reached the end of a line? Time to heave the carriage back to start the next one. Who needed a gym membership when your job doubled as an upper-body workout!
Electric Typewriters: The Big Upgrade
Then came the electric typewriter—oh, the luxury! A lighter touch, a magical “carriage return” button, and suddenly, we thought we were high-tech. But we were still stuck with carbon paper and onion skin paper if we needed copies. If you made a typo, you had to use liquid whiteout on each copy, roll the paper back into the machine, and pray everything lined up properly. (Spoiler: It rarely did.)
Enter the Gestetner: A Crank-Operated Nightmare
Before photocopiers, we had the Gestetner, a stencil-based duplicator. You had to hand-crank the thing while listening to the rhythmic kerchunk, kerchunk of misery.
The Arrival of the Xerox Machine
When photocopiers finally hit offices, we were ecstatic. No more cranking! No more ink-stained fingers! We had entered a new era—an era that required significantly fewer curse words.
The Fax Machine Fiasco
Ah, the fax machine. I once had to fax a 300-page document, a process that took two hours because the machine was as slow as molasses. And heaven help you if it jammed or lost the connection—you had no idea how many pages actually went through, so you had to start over. Good times, NOT!
From Filing Cabinets to the Digital Age
Back then, everything was paper-based. Offices had entire rooms filled with filing cabinets. I can’t tell you how many paper cuts I’ve suffered in my lifetime. Then computers arrived, and gradually, all those files, letters, and invoices moved online. Now, my biggest struggle is remembering all my passwords.
Computers: The Love of My Work Life
My first personal computer was from Radio Shack, and it used cassette tapes for program storage. (Yes, you read that right.) I didn’t keep it long.
Then came Windows-based computers in 1985, and finally, I had something that made sense. Since then, I’ve always had a computer in my home.
As technology improved, so did my setup. I now have a desktop for my business and a laptop for personal use with two external hard drives attached to back up my genealogy research. Because let’s face it—losing years of family history due to a tech failure would send me straight into meltdown mode.
Of course, data storage has come a long way too. We went from floppy disks (that barely held anything) to CDs and DVDs, and now to USB drives and cloud storage. It’s wild to think how much information we can carry around in something smaller than a stick of gum!
Boomers: The Original Tech Adopters
While Boomers get a bad rap from younger generations, let’s give credit where it’s due. We were the guinea pigs for all the tech that exists today—colour TVs, computers, iPods, iPhones, and even Tim Hortons! (Okay, maybe I can’t take credit for that last one, but still…)
Yes, life was simpler back then—fewer screens, more exercise, better music (60s, 70s, and 80s tunes still reign supreme!). 
But let’s be real—who actually wants to go back to the days of carbon paper and manual typewriters? Not this lady!
What’s Next?
This first blog was just a fun little dip into my world. I have no idea how often I’ll blog—I’ll figure it out as I go. But if you stuck around to the end, thank you!
As Tigger would say, TTFN! (Ta-ta for now!)