The Romance of a Typewriter

If there is a connection between cleanliness and public affection, I have no idea what it is, but it's being played out in the homes and on the streets of Brazil. Here people continually exhibit their passion for both habits.

Brazilians generally shower twice a day and brush their teeth after eating, which could be five or six times every day. They power wash their sidewalks and store fronts and keep their homes fastidiously clean and neat, thanks to the dedicated hands of the family maids.

In Curitiba, a stroll down the street on any day reveals a task force consisting of hundreds of men (and a few women) employed to sweep the streets by hand. Orange-suited cleanliness heroes pick up trash, fallen leaves, and even scrape weeds from between the cracks of the cobblestone sidewalks.

Likewise, public affection is the everyday norm. Although most often practiced by the young, it is not their exclusive domain. Few couples refrain from a romantic moment – witnessing the likes of rainbows in waterfalls or seaside sunrises.

One night I went to the movies at the local mall and discovered a discount promotion. My wife and I could obtain half-price tickets if we kissed in front of the ticket counter. Apparently, discount kissing was a success, as it wasn’t restricted to this mall. Perhaps movie theaters were assisting in the flowering of new relationships by encouraging the people at the back of the line to enjoy enthusiastic bursts of romance. I’m still wondering if the promotion was endorsed by the Valentine’s Day committee or the numerous chocolate stores.

Along with a heightened awareness of cleanliness, and public displays of romance, there are some other customs I wouldn’t mind bringing to the US. For one, the hotly debated topic of universal health care, which already exists in Brazil, is still struggling to come to fruition. Additionally, Brazil is advanced beyond the US in electronic banking.

I’ve been equally impressed in Curitiba by the regulations regarding recycling. Not only does recycling promote environmental awareness, but it provides valuable income to some of Curitiba’s poorer families. A system has been in place for nearly 50 years requiring residential and business recycling. Recycling is so advanced that even cemetery plots are recycled. After several years, the remains of the departed are exhumed and placed in smaller containers above ground, allowing the original plot to be re-used.

The idea of products with built-in obsolescence also doesn't exist in Brazil. I have never seen useable items sitting on a street corner waiting for the garbage collector. Americans are fond of replacing household items that are still in working condition because they’ve grown tired of them or they don’t function as well as they used to. Brazilians recycle, re-use, and repair their old possessions.

I had a remarkable repair experience when I moved to Brazil with a typewriter that had belonged to my grandfather who died before I was born. This typewriter is the only possession I have of my grandfather’s. I inherited it from his son, my father, and I learned to type on it during a summer vacation when I was a schoolboy. It was built in the 1930s and fell into disrepair many years ago. When I was living in New York City, I had searched for a repair shop but couldn’t find a single store that even sold typewriters nor less repaired them. Had it not been for my grandfather’s memory, I probably would have thrown it away. When I came to Brazil, a glance in the phone book provided a list of several typewriter repair stores. Today, my sentimental possession sits in my apartment, well-oiled and functioning, dressed smartly in a new two-color typewriter ribbon. I can’t imagine where the repair shop found a ribbon for this 25-lb. relic of a bygone era.

There is something to be said for honoring the past. Repairing an old typewriter isn’t so different from taking care of an aging family member. Widows are invited to move in with their grown children, and Seniors are given priority on bank and supermarket lines. They ride the buses free, get half-price tickets to movies and theater, and don’t have to vote while it's mandatory for the rest of the populace.

Perhaps before Brazilians embrace the 21st century, dreaming of huge homes and massive cars like they see in Hollywood movies, they might take a moment to appreciate their own country, which has the sound judgment to care for antique typewriters. Maybe they will remember it's fun watching couples kissing on the movie line, even if it takes a few extra minutes to buy tickets.

Before leaping into the future, we can stop and recognize there is much to be learned from the past. The advice and experience of history is available to everyone – we need only to slow down and listen carefully to the grandparents and great-grandparents among us. As with cleanliness and affection, listening takes time. It’s not as effective if you are in a hurry. Like the considerate hands of the artisan who brought new life to my grandfather’s typewriter, the wisdom of the ages is open to those with the patience to hear it.

This essay originally appeared under another title in slightly different form on Brazzil.com.