In the early 1980s, while serving my mandatory military service at Army Headquarters in South Korea, I was surrounded by the familiar sound of typewriters.
Click-clack, click-clack.
There was something strangely captivating about that steady rhythm. Out of pure curiosity, I placed my fingers on the keyboard and began to learn proper touch typing. At the time, I had no idea that this small act of curiosity would become the foundation for a lifetime of learning new technologies.
One Keyboard, Many Journeys
Years later, when computers first appeared in the office, I felt far less intimidated than many of my colleagues. The keyboard was still there. My fingers already knew where to go.
Back then, computers were rare. In many offices, there might be only one machine, usually reserved for the people who knew how to use it. Whenever I had a chance, I would sit down and experiment. Everything about it fascinated me.
Then I discovered spreadsheets long before Excel became a household name. Watching numbers calculate instantly on a screen felt almost magical. I spent hours exploring, clicking, and learning. One curiosity naturally led to another.
The Advantage of Staying Curious
As the world became increasingly digital, typewriters disappeared and computers took their place.
Even today, I often see people hunting for keys one by one, shifting their eyes between the keyboard and the screen. Meanwhile, the touch-typing skills I learned decades ago continue to serve me well.
But the real benefit was never about typing speed.
It was about adaptability.
Learning to type taught me that unfamiliar tools become familiar once we are willing to spend time with them. That lesson proved useful far beyond the keyboard itself.
Learning Without Pride
Looking back, there was no secret formula.
Whenever I encountered something I didn’t understand, I asked questions and learned from those around me, including younger colleagues.
The Chinese philosopher Confucius described this attitude with the phrase Bu Chi Xia Wen (不恥下問): “Do not be ashamed to learn from those below you.”
I simply tried to live by that principle.
Over the years, I learned spreadsheets, Excel, document software, blogging, and eventually artificial intelligence. Even now, there seems to be no end to the things worth learning.
Perhaps that is why new technologies rarely frighten me. They remind me of countless moments in the past when something unfamiliar gradually became part of my life.
Nothing Worth Having Comes Easily
My current goal is modest.
I am waiting for approval from Google AdSense for my blog. I am not hoping to get rich. If one day the blog can earn enough to pay for a cup of coffee now and then, that would be more than enough.
The approval may come soon, or it may take longer than expected.
Either way, I am not discouraged.
Just as I once approached a typewriter with curiosity during my military service, I now approach blogging and AI with the same mindset: ask questions, keep learning, and move forward one step at a time.
Looking back, very little in my life came easily.
So I am not in a hurry.
Today, as always, I sit at my desk, place my hands on a keyboard, and keep learning.
After all, the only way I have ever known is to try.