While cleaning out the garage recently, I found a combination lock. I saw the number "55" painted on the back of the battleship-gray Slaymaker, and my mind leapt decades into the past.

That lock had been issued to me in Navy boot camp early in our nation's history. I was No. 55 in a company of perhaps 80 fledgling sailors in our barracks. That lock secured a small metal locker -- gray, of course -- at the foot of my bunk that stored my shoes, uniforms, toothbrush and stationery.

As soon as I found that old lock, I absentmindedly twisted the dial to the right and stopped at 17, then left to 23, right to 32 -- and it popped open!

I have a bad memory, so I was amazed that I recalled a combination I had not used in years. I hadn't actually remembered it, though; it was an automatic action, like touch typing.

I never remember what to pick up at the store, but I know 17-23-32. Life is strange.

SPEAKING OF TYPING: My high school friend Jack responded to last week's column about his failing grade in freshman college English and then having daughter Betsy grow up to be a college freshman English instructor.

"Betsy liked it a lot," he wrote. "It is now linked to her Facebook -- whatever that is. She plans to cut it out and put it on her office door for all freshmen to see."

The column cited the D that I made in high school typing class and the years I have spent on typewriters and computers ever since. That drew numerous responses, including one from another former classmate, Johnny:

"Glynn, just read your Jan. 5 column. I did not take typing in high school; sure wish I had, since it took me 5 minutes to type this e-mail."

Judging by all the professional titles listed after Johnny's name on his e-mail, I don't think he has suffered too much from missing that class.

I also heard from Anne Cordeiro, the community relations manager at Doctors Hospital, who noted that computer keyboards aren't quite the same as typewriters of yore.

"I know keyboards are ubiquitous these days, but keyboarding and typing are different skills," she wrote. "A few years ago, at another job I had, I asked an intern to type some mailing labels for me. She had sat at many computers, but never a typewriter. ... She didn't have a clue about the typewriter and how it worked. ...

"I remember the student's expression when I showed her the typewriter. She looked at it like it was an antique. I felt very old that day."

Finally, golf writer David Westin stopped by my desk and told me about the typing exam he took years ago so he could exempt typing class at the University of Georgia.

He had done well in his high school typing class, so he felt confident going into the test. The instructor told the roomful of students to begin, and David's fingers flew.

After the first line, he reached out his right hand to slam the carriage return lever -- "I always liked slamming it" -- but slammed air instead.

That's when David realized the university used electric typewriters, not manual machines like the ones in high school. He was stumped at the absence of the lever until he finally noticed a button marked "Return."

David passed the exam.