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Most people have grown up learning how to type in the style called QWERTY. If you look at any typical keyboard today, it is QWERTY layout. Usually nobody ever questions why we write in QWERTY. It has always just been that way.

I’ll give you a quick history lesson. Back in the 1800′s when typewriters first started coming out, the big question was how should we type. Typing, back in the day, was hard work. To get a good print on the sheet, a typist had to hit the keys pretty hard. It was found that after repeated typing, a typist usually had to stop, as their wrists would become sore. And it was a condition that lasted a long time, often causing a typist his job.

Doctor Dvorak developed a typing style where typing a word usually involved both hands, that way a majority of words would not be typed with one hand. This took much stress of the wrists, and many typists noticed a great improvement in the health of their wrists. The only problem with this typing style, however, was that many letters were close together, and being hit right after the other. This caused keys to jam up in the typewriter.

For efficiency reasons, the typewriter was universally set to QWERTY. This style allowed the minimum amount of key jamming. However, this did not help the typist’s wrists.

In today’s typing world though, QWERTY is not needed. We do not having key jamming problems any more. Dvorak is much easier on the wrists, minimizing the chance of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. When I first started writing, I noticed pain starting to increase in my wrists.

Soon it became a constant problem, and I had to start wearing wrists bands. Working on the farm, having sore wrists could not be tolerated. I started looking for solutions. I read an article on Holly Lisle’s site about the Dvorak style of typing. She said it helped her out with her wrists. I tried it, and after a couple of months, I learned the typing style, and now my wrists are fine. I also type much faster then I did in QWERTY as typing is much more natural with Dvorak.

If you are interested in typing in Dvorak, all it takes is a simple setting change on your computer. You can even go as far as buying special Dvorak keyboards. Though I really don’t think it is necessary, as long as your a typist that doesn’t look at the keyboard.

To switch your settings in windows, click on your “Start” button in the bottom left hand corner of your screen. In Vista or 7 that will be the little blue round windows sign. Then click on “Control Panel” in the menu that shows up.

Make sure your in “Control Panel Home” and not “Classic View”. Then click on “Clock, Language, and Region”. Then click on “Language and Regional Options”. Then select the “Keyboard and Languages Tab” at the top, then select “Change Keyboards”

Select the “Add” button and then select “English-United States”, then “Keyboard”, then “United States- Dvorak”. Press “Ok”.

In the “Default Input Language” section, click on the pull down menu and select “United States- Dvorak” Press “Ok”. Now exit out. You are done. You computer is in Dvorak. Try typing in a word document. You’ll see the keys are all different.

You will want to print out a Dvorak chart so you can memorize the keys. It will probably take you a couple months to get really good at it, but the benefits are well worth it.

A buddy of mine and myself went and played Raquette Ball last night. It was my first time at the sport, but I found it to be extremely fun, and the best part, very active.

I worked up a good sweat. And by the time I was done I really thought I had accomplished something good. Usually on the weekends I just get drunk, and rot away in my shacks. Nothing much else to do right? Wrong! I think I need to start looking at the other opportunities the military offers me other then the alcohol that is so easily found on military bases Canada wide.

We have a free gym, bowling lanes, ice arenas, running and biking paths, auto clubs, carpentry clubs, gun clubs. We have all sorts of services here on the base.

But I need to really start looking at my health better. I go for runs 3 times a week with the guys on PAT Platoon. We play sports and do spin classes, and circuit training. I can’t say the military isn’t doing it’s best to keep me in shape.

But I’m not in the shape I was when I used to work out on my own back in the civy world. I need to work out on my own, hit the weights, go for runs on my own time. I find when you workout on your own or with a buddy because of your own choice, you workouts will be much better. You mind is ready for them, prepared for them. It’s not like on PAT where you just can’t wait to finish the run.

Yesterday we played Raquette Ball and afterward we felt great. Now my bud and me are going again to night to play some more.

I am feeling things are coming together and it might not be much longer, I’ll have the motivation to start hitting the weights.

My biggest fear right now is my Vehicle Technician QL 3 Course starting December 2nd. Once that course comes it’ll be nothing but none stop studying for hours on end. It’s one of the toughest courses in the military at the moment for the density of information pushed into our brains in the short amount of time of 6 months.

A 3 year college civy course pushed at us in 6 months. INSANE! The course has a 50% fail rate, if not higher. So I’m getting this motivation, this drive to write, to work out, to get my life back on track where I want it.

But in the end I have to realize I’m a soldier, and my life is on the track the government puts it. I’ll be doing my best however to let a little bit of myself escape.

I’m working on piece currently about how I quit smoking. I hope it will help others out there do the same. Stay tuned for it.