Keeping The Time With My Watch
Do you own a watch?
Tick, Tock
Until I have put my security blanket…umm… I mean my watch on, my day has not begun. On those scary days when my watch has been misplaced or the battery has died, I am nervous, moody and an all-around pain. My equilibrium has been thrown off and I just cannot think properly. If am not wearing my watch, you might as well speak to someone else.
True, I could just look at my cell phone display or a clock, but they all seem to read a different time than my watch. Whether the difference is as small as a minute behind or as large as twenty minutes before, it doesn’t matter. The only time piece I can count on is my watch. It keeps me on track, each second bringing me closer to my deadline.
I have known far too many people who abhor watches and any other objects that remind of the time. They believe that such objects throw off the balance of the natural course of things, chopping up our lives, measuring how much of ourselves we can give to others. They don’t see being late as rude. Rather, they believe that being late is their way of showing others that they live well-lived lives. (Others may see their behavior as selfish and inconsiderate.) I wonder how my acquaintances would feel if an ambulance was just a little late to save them.
I once had a professor who refused to have a clock hanging in his classroom. He would encourage us all to take off our watches and deposit them into our school bags. He said that he had spent the first half of his life constantly checking his watch, managing his time wisely and always being on time. After he had a heart attack, he threw his watch away. He believed that we waste more time trying to manage our time than when we’re not trying to manage it. He believed that such concern with time had given him unnecessary stress. In order for him to really live, he had to relieve himself of his bad habits. By throwing out his watch, he was symbolically throwing away his past life.
While I do understand and respect people’s reasons for not wearing watches, I see too much value in mine to ever discard it. In our busy world, we need to know the time now more than ever. If we don’t wear watches or pay attention to clocks, how will we know when our day has ended? If we don’t acknowledge the time, how will we make it to our next destination? Yes, we should not live our lives dependent on a clock or on any item for that matter. True, our lives are scheduled far more time now than they ever have been before. However, until our world slows down and time is no longer measured, aren’t we doing ourselves a disservice by not knowing the time? Though you may be applauded for your convictions, while everyone else is enjoying the picnic at noon, you’re the one who is missing out because you think it’s really earlier than it is.
This content reflects the personal opinions of the author. It is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and should not be substituted for impartial fact or advice in legal, political, or personal matters.
© 2009 L A Walsh