It all started back in the days of Windows 3.1. I was really young, I couldn't type, and my brother somehow found this keyboard layout called Dvorak. We tried to learn it, but I just did not take to it, though we had a little paper print out with the layout, it was easier to look at the keys on the keyboard. The attempted failed.
It all started, again, the summer before 9th grade, 2000. I was really bad at touch typing, I could actually type fairly fast if I looked at the keys, and no it was not hunt and peck. I wanted to learn to touch type, I remembered back to when my brother showed me that cool layout, and thought, "I can try to learn that". I went online and found a program that would teach me for free. I practiced all summer, Heck since I was using my brothers computer he ended up learning it with me, and he already could type well in qwerty. After we both learned the layout, we took one of our keyboards and rearranged the keys to match Dvorak.
Then some bad luck started to kick in. My freshmen year I had a Keyboarding class. I had this as an Alt. because the year before I could not type. I couldn't switch the layout and I did not try hard because I figured I could just become good at both. I made my biggest mistake when I decided to change my home computer to qwerty *shakes*. I did this so I would keep a good grade in the class, and it worked.
I am scared of the labels on the keys now. When I was learning Dvorak they were in qwerty, then when I switched back to qwerty the keys were in Dvorak. I have never trusted what the lable of a key since, and am surprised when the the label and key I want are the same. :)
My current status. I have been using qwerty since that class, until this year 2004. My brother however is still Dvoraking. I have windows and Linux currently on my machine. Windows I can switch qwerty/Dvorak and linux is Dvorak only, no way to switch easily. I still have not gained the speed I need, but as I type this story I have been using Dvorak, it would not feel right to do it in qwerty. I WILL BREAK IT!
Edit:: Since I wrote this "paper" (Oct. 30) I have not reverted back to qwerty. (Nov 6, 04) Still holds true (Mar. 4, 06), (Dec. 9, 06)