Friday 14 September 2012

Time Gentlemen Please!



I hope I'm not boring you, but it's been a very long time since I went watch-less.

Time has been the bane of my life. Since my earliest recollections I have been a slave to EXACT time-keeping. At school, poor time-keeping was rewarded by a damned good thrashing; Flashman style senior boys administering several strokes of the cane for even the tiniest of infringements. As a result, I've become one of those sad people who, if I'm invited to dine at 7.30pm, I arrive at 7.30pm.

Also, I've never removed my various watches other than for swimming; and I've always worn them at night. They've been well and truly a permanent part of my wrist.

But my current watch has recently been sent away for essential service and repair (I chipped the glass cover) and I have now been watch-less for over a month. For someone who'd been wedded to his watch, it's a strange experience; and, bizarrely, I'm rather enjoying the freedom of my chronometrical divorce.

Our village has a perfectly good chiming church clock, so I'm never without a regular time-check. And if occasionally I should miss the chimes; then what the hell!

In fact I'm enjoying my lax attitude so much, that I'm thinking of remaining watch-less for the foreseeable future. I may even sell my watch (I have others) and use the cash for something more practical. Other than for travel, I see no future necessity to be aware of the exact time at all (except for lunch, which HAS to be at 12.00 on the dot).

Of course, on the bottom right hand corner of my laptop screen there is always a little reminder, just in case I panic.


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23 comments:

  1. Day I retired I stopped wearing ties and a wristwatch! Never regretted it.

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  2. Our first COLD morning of Autumn. I've just got back from walking the boys, and it's 7 degrees C. Brrrrr.

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  3. I stopped wearing a watch years ago (apart from when I go out and have an appointment to keep).

    Thought spring had arrived here but yesterday we had OUR COLDEST DAY OF THE YEAR - and I thought this winter had been cold.

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  4. I favour a pocket-watch myself (there's always the chance that it will stop a bullet or something). I have a natural sense of timing though when outdoors - can tell you at the drop of a hat whether it is daytime or night-time, and occasionally I guess the day of the week too.

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  5. I only wear a watch when I go out but never look at it - my stomach is the best time-keeper

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    1. Unfortunately mine registers 'Lunchtime' for most of the day!

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  6. It's the ring which intrigues me - are you a closet Knight Templar?

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    1. It's the symbol that I've left in every house I've owned, either carved into a stone, plastered onto a wall, or discretely painted on a beam. Lady M thought I should have myself marked too, in case I should die whilst mushrooming. The ring on a skeletal hand would identify me.

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    2. I too was curious about the ring.

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  7. I have to confess I am a bit obsessed with time and I’m likely to have a panic attack if I’m running late for something. I have set times for meals because I get irritable when hungry. I suppose I just like to organise my time and not be the white rabbit with the pocket watch, always late and running.

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    Replies
    1. I'm the same when hungry; hence my insistence on eating at Midi.

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  8. I haven't worn a watch in years and for the first two years of my retirement I banished the alarm clock from the bedroom. Who cares what time it is?

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  9. I stopped wearing a watch years ago. I think it was connected to working at a computer all day (which I do less of now!) I always had the time handy. NOw I always have my iPhone in my purse! Plus I have a strange knack for guessing the time within a few minutes. :) I usually take a watch on vacation, because we have bus and train and plane schedules to adhere to. It's funny how this all changed, because I used to feel naked without a watch!

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  10. I quit wearing a watch many years ago, and it is a new kind of freedom. It is funny though, we have been fishing on the lake a lot and my husband asks what time it is, for the purpose of checking our trot lines, and I can hardly see the time on the cell phone with the sun glaring. So, thinking about putting that watch back on my wrist. I have not been posting much, too busy having fun!!!

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  11. I have never worn a watch but if asked, I am usually within 15 minutes of the correct time.

    Keep it off Cro, life is much more relaxed without one.

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  12. "if I'm invited to dine at 7.30pm, I arrive at 7.30pm."


    me too Cro and it drives me MAD when people are late for anything.

    oddly, maybe, I have never worn a watch.

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  13. I've never been one to be fashionably late, either. If people want me to show up at 8:00 instead of 7:30, they should SAY so. Otherwise, I'm gonna be ringing their bell at 7:30. However, one of the pleasures of retirement is the delicious freedom from former time constraints. We pretty much eat when hungry, and sleep when sleepy, no matter WHAT the watch tells us.

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  14. Forgive me, please...this is totally off subject but I'm new to your site and discovered "Canine Canoodling" in the archives. It left me wondering, did you ask if you could buy Bok and did they let you? I hope so.

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    1. Gail; welcome. Bok was later given to us by his owner. Strange you should ask.... see today's (tomorrow's) posting!

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  15. I stopped wearing a watch when i lived in Paris. Clocks were on nearly every street corner it seemed, and i lived across the street from the Gare de Lyon, so a quick look outside let me know what the time was.

    I've used my phone when i need to know what time it is, or my computer screen, since i sit in front of one for work each workday.

    I did get a pocket watch repaired some months back and started carrying that. I stopped carrying it on boating days, because i didn't want it to get wet. I did like pulling it out and looking at the time--no glare problem as one can have with a phone screen.

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  16. I don't know why, but reading this reminds me of the time my sister felt she had to confess that she was a naturist.

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  17. I am also now watchless...a beautiful Tag watch stays tucked in my bureau...

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  18. I was with Tom... thought it was all very davincci code!

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