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| Proper PostureJoe KinaimI was watching an old movie the other day. It was set in the early 1800s. Two men went into a tavern to quaff a pint or two. Maybe just a wee bit of spirits. Lift a couple. Bend the elbow. Raise a toast. Hair of the dog. Quench the thirst. Drown the kidneys. Convert the stock. Tie one on. Liquor the licker. Ale for the ailing. Jigger swiggers. Mug mugs. But I digress. The two guys walked up to the bar and ordered a couple. One took his and went over to the dart board. There was already a couple of people over there. He introduced himself and shook a few hands. Soon he was involved in a game with two locals. The director put that part in the movie just to get him out of the way. The real story line took place at the bar. It had to do with a conversation between the bartender and the first guy. They were talking about overthrowing the king, or sailing around the world, or fishing, or something. I don't really remember. It didn't seem important. I was focused on the unspoken drama. See, the man at the bar had to stand. There were no chairs. At first he stood upright and flatfooted. Held his beer high. After all, he was the hero of the movie. Strong. Rock solid. Nobody could defeat him, although you just knew that a couple of dastardly types were gonna give it the old college try. But this was a long conversation. Everybody gets tired of standing eventually, even when they are standing correctly. And he got tired too. Can you guess what he did? Think about it. He's at the bar with no chairs. He has to stand. What does he do with his feet when he gets tired? Now it might have been acting. Sometimes directors micro-direct even the smallest of details. Maybe it was. But more likely, it was human nature. Even the most comfortable position becomes uncomfortable with time. Have you thought of what he did yet? You will instantly know when I tell you. Bar owners have known for centuries that if a man gets tired, he is more apt to leave and go home. They don't want that. They would rather have him stay and drink up his week's wages. So what do you do to keep a man standing at the bar longer? Well, way back, hundreds of years ago, one enterprising entrepreneur came up with an outstanding idea, and it caught on like wildfire because it works. He installed a metal pipe that ran the length of the bar. It was about eight inches above the floor. The best way to stand may be to stand flatfooted with your weight centered. Keep the bones straight, you know. But you still get tired after awhile. But if you use that footrest, you won't get as tired. That's why that same footrest still shows up in most bars, even the ones that have plenty of seats. It works. Watch people the next time you go out. Even people who don't frequent bars will find that footrest if they are forced to stand. Sure, first they will fidget a little. Move their weight from side to side. They may even lean on the bar. But eventually, they will find that bar. That's when they will settle down. It will take the pressure off of one leg. In a minute, they will switch to the other leg. Rest that one for a while. It isn't the best posture. It isn't even an easy position to maintain. In fact, if you had to stand with one foot on a footrest for a long time, you would become tired very quickly. So what is the attraction? It is a different position. That's all. The body tires fastest when it is forced to hold any position. When you first sit down in a movie theater, don't those seats feel great? Yet, we all end up squirming around. Taking it to the extreme, bedridden individuals have to guard against bedsores. The prescription for bedsores is simple. Turn the patient. In other words, they are put in less comfortable positions simply to allow their body to rest whatever part is supporting their body. Any change is better than forever maintaining the same position, even if it is the best position. So next time you are in class, remember the sage words of the Hokey Pokey: "You put your left foot in. You put your left foot out. You put your left foot in, and you shake it all about." These words symbolize the most common advice of the physical rehabilitation industry: Move your body. Stretch when you can. When dictation pauses for readback, lean forward, lean back, twist your torso, arch your back, shrug your shoulders. Do something. Get the blood going. And adjust your machine. Repetitive stress, right? Well, we have to stick our hands out in front of us. We can't have them too high or too low. We are locked into sitting in basically the same position. That's why we are susceptible to Carpal Tunnel. But we can fight back. We can adjust our machines up and down in that comfort zone. Raise it up an inch or two. After the next dictation, lower it the same amount. It takes only a second, and it will help your arms from fatiguing so quickly. And of course, make a fist, stretch your fingers, twist your wrists. Get limber, get relaxed, get ready to stroke. | Casa Brain has action games, word games, brain games, T shirts, hats, sweatshirts, etc., designed by students and reporters How to Grade a TestEasy ErrorsHarry S Truman and why you don't put a period after the middle initial. John F. Kennedy and why he is not a jelly doughnut. A harangue by Buzz Gadflie on those junky plastic paper trays.
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