I was licensed in 1959 as K4RML and operated for a year with a straight key and a bug. Then I got a Hallicrafters HA-4 keyer and did not use a bug again for many years. In 1976 I tried to change to the iambic method of keying. Although I worked hard at becoming proficient for six months, the longer I practiced, the worse I got. I finally gave that up as the "work of the devil" and went back to my single-lever key. In 1987 I took up the bug again by using just it for 30 days. After that I could send with either the keyer or the bug. Once when talking with Hack K4KP, he suggested that I take up the cootie. He said he had made cooties for a number of people but that none had learned to use them. I promised him that if he would make one for me, I'd learn to use it. Many was the time I regretted that promise as learning to send with a cootie was the hardest thing I've ever done. Now I send with anything but an iambic keyer (still the work of the devil to me). I'm 56 years old.

73
Mike N4NT
Johnson City, Tennessee