The Watch

A little more than thirty-five years ago I released the clasp of a very expensive watch that was on my wrist, pulled it off and heaved that devil's device across the street.  I hope it landed in a grassy area along the curb because it was in perfect operating condition when I tried to launch it into orbit.  If it survived the landing, maybe someone that knew how to use it put it on his wrist and is happy with his find to this day.

At one time, when I first bought the thing, I knew how it should be used.  Unfortunately, as time passed, I lost that knowledge.  Instead of allowing it to advise me of the time of day, I started to depend on it to tell me how much longer I had until  IT was due. 

Little by little that watch took over my life.  I started to hurry.  Faster and faster I went because as everyone that has held a corporate position knows, the more you do, the more work is given.  I have never had a boss who rewarded fast, accurate completion of a project with anything other than another project, usually with less time to complete.  Sure, sometimes a pat on the back was given and occasionally a promotion with a REAL raise came along.  But usually the "raise" was just a longer job title and a pittance - and more work.

The hurry at work was transmitted to hurry in my life away from the job.  After a few years my whole temperament was affected and I was in a rush from the moment I woke til I dropped into bed exhausted at night.  I was hospitalized at an early age from the effects of high blood pressure.  Mostly I slept for the three days I was there and my body calmed down.  But, after those three days, I was right back at it, picking up exactly where I had crashed, only now I was three days farther behind.  That watch was a relentless taskmaster.  Then one day not long after that hospitalization, for the first time ever, something about the act of looking at that watch caught my attention.

I was in a hurry and looked at the watch.  I had only two minutes left til the presentation was due and I was not yet in the building!  That's when it hit me.  The world would not end if I was a minute late - half the people that were to be present would probably not be ready for me.  In fact, I had the rest of my life - not just two minutes.  That's when the watch came off and I have not worn one since.

It took a while but I started to plan a little better.  The deadlines still came and I still managed to meet them but the watch no longer pushed me.  I am seldom late for any appointment or fail to complete a project in a timely manner to this day, and the pressure cooker that was my life during that era completely disappeared after the watch was removed. 

One of these days I may buy another watch but not for the reason you might think.  Mechanical things fascinate me, and Peter Henlein created a thing of beauty.  I'd like to take one apart and put it back together again.  I'd like to see if I can adjust it so there are twenty-seven hours in a day.  Ya know, I just might put it on my arm and when someone asked the time I'd look closely at the watch.  Then I'd hold it up for them to see and announce "Why, it's four minutes to twenty-six."