Alvis Writes A Letter

Dear Mom and Dad:
Hope you are well and things are going well in Hootin Holler. It is nice to hear about all of the going ons there, but it makes me homesick. Perhaps I can come home before the holidays.

I wrote you that I am taking a computer class. It is very interesting, but confusing. I am taking a class called Word class. I guess they call it that because we type a lot with words. If that is the case, why don't they call it Words class. The teacher said that Word is a word processing program. That statement confused me, because I cannot imagine words being processed. They are what they are, and do not need to go through a grinder, polisher, mixer or anything like that. Part of the class also involves what is called keyboarding. The teacher said it used to be called typing class, but did not explain why the name was changed.

In addition to learning to type, part of the class involves working with a thing they call a mouse. Why they call it a mouse is beyond me. It is oval shape and has no feet or ears. It has a little ball underneath, and you push it around and click two keys on top to give the computer directions. When the mouse is moved, it moves an arrow on the computer screen, which is like a television screen, but is not. The arrow is called a cursor. Again, I do not know why the cursor is called a cursor rather than an arrow. Maybe it's because people curse when it doesn't go where they want it to. The TV screen is called a CRT. I do not know the reason for that name either. Boy, they sure have a lot of strange names for things.

Will keep you up to date as I learn more about computers. Tell everyone I said, Hey!
Love,
Alvis