NJ workers are weirdly nostalgic for this one office relic

If you ever worked in an office before everything went digital, this is going to hit you right in the nostalgia.

Apparently, New Jerseyans have very strong feelings about old school office life, and honestly, I get it.

There was something comforting about the noise, the smells, and the very physical nature of getting work done. You knew when you were working because the office actually sounded like it.

New Jersey nostalgia for old-school office life runs deep

The thing Jersey people remember most fondly is the clack of the typewriter.

It makes sense.

There was rhythm to it; there was commitment, no delete key, no undo. If you made a mistake, you stared at it, sighed, and figured out how to live with it.

Work felt serious because it took effort.

Why typewriters, photocopiers, and Rolodexes felt more human

Right behind that is the smell of fresh photocopies; that warm toner scent meant productivity. Someone was running around collating, stapling, and acting like the deadline mattered. It smelled like things were getting done.

Then there is the Rolodex, a spinning wheel of actual human connections. Names you recognized, numbers you remembered, and yes, usually a pizza place or two mixed in there.

It felt personal in a way contacts on a phone never will.

The fax machine and dot matrix printer round out the list. Loud, annoying, constantly jamming, and yet somehow essential.

Offices used to feel alive. Messy, noisy and human.

What New Jerseyans would actually bring back from pre-digital offices

When asked what people would actually bring back for a week, Jersey answered loudly and clearly. We miss the drama of it all.

Here is what New Jerseyans remember most fondly from office life:

• The clack of the typewriter – 30%
• The smell of fresh photocopies – 26%
• The Rolodex – 23%
• The fax machine – 15%
• The dot matrix printer – 6%

And here is what people would actually bring back for a week, just for fun:

• Typewriter – 28%
• Pager – 27%
• Overhead projector – 21%
• In tray and out tray – 17%
• Dictaphone – 7%

Progress is great. I love modern conveniences as much as anyone, but sometimes I miss when work made noise, smelled weird, and required a little muscle.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco only.

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