Key Punch Card

Why did keypunch cards come to my mind? It was a random thought. While I have a vivid memory of them, my grandchildren probably don’t even know what they are or that they existed. They were born into a technologically advanced world.

My new husband was pursuing a master’s degree in mathematics. At that time Brigham Young University had one computer in the basement of the Smoot Administration Building.  During the day it was used to teach computer programming and at night the computer handled university business—such as records and payroll. There was no Computer Science Department.  Computer classes were scattered among various departments.

A keypunch card—a three by seven-inch card—contained code information by means of holes punched into it. The code on each card was printed on the top in small letters.  A program consisted of many cards gathered together in a stack. The data on those cards were transferred to large reels of magnetic tape that the computer could read.

The computer was a very large machine that was located in a huge airconditioned room. My husband’s job was to put each reel of magnetic tape on the computer and replace it when the data transfer was complete. I was not allowed in that room, so I often sat in the small room where the key punch machine was located. To amuse myself, I began using the key punch machine—not to write computer code, but to write love notes to my husband.  When I had completed the note or poem, I had a small stack of computer cards. I would then run the cards through the key punch machine to duplicate them.  Now no  words were printed on the top. This meant my husband had to print the program to read the message I had coded.

When we moved to California, boxes of computer cards came with us. I had previously used old cards as bookmarks and I wrote lists and memos on them. Now I began to use those old cards to create beautiful Christmas wreaths for our home and to give as gifts.  The cards were stapled together and spray-painted red or green before adding bursts of gold glitter. A decoration was placed in the center.  There were other crafts that used these cards, but I forget what they were.  I asked Siri but she didn’t know either.  Crafts using keypunch cards had become a forgotten thing of the past. 

I looked up keypunch cards on the Internet and found an entrepreneur on E-Bay who was asking $12.34 for a single card.  Or I could buy 15 for $19 and pay $15 for shipping.  Etsy was selling 5 cards for $3.95.  I have two shoe boxes full of those cards—a real treasure trove if I believe Ebay or Etsy. But they’re only worth that much if someone is willing to pay that much.  I think I’ll just let my cards continue to increase in value on the dusty shelves in my garage.  Or maybe I’ll make an expensive Christmas Card Wreath with some of those valuable cards.

My parents lived from horse and buggy days to space travel. An awesome accomplishment that my life doesn’t match. But then I realize that I’ve lived through the rise of the technological age.  Television. Computers.  Cell phones. Satellites. Space travel.  It’s a good time to be alive.