A favourite pastime for the working classes!
As another case of synchronicity, there was an exchange of comments on the blog Still the Lucky Few earlier today as follows:
The start to the discussion was the writer’s comment on her post “I’ve been waiting for a few minutes, and take out my iphone to check the time. I’ve already done this twice.”
I commented – “I think that it was easier to watch one’s wrist watch every few seconds while waiting than the cumbersome mobile telephones all of us seem to use now instead of the good old ww. There is a story waiting to be told there and I think that I will do just that over in my blog.”
The writer responded – “Well, girls will be girls, Rummuser. Thanks for reading!”
Though I had a different post in mind when I commented, the way events unfolded today leads me to post today’s experience, saving the wrist watch / iPhone debate for another day.
I watch the clock when in a time bound situation like this morning, my friend Neena was to arrive by a flight from Delhi at 10.50 am and to ring me up as soon as she cleared luggage to enable me to fetch her without parking the car inside the airport. From 1050 am I started watching the clock to await her call which never came. I simply decided to take the chance and requested Manjiree to go to the airport anyway and while she was enroute there I got the long awaited phone call from Neena saying that she could not get through to me on the phone and so was taking a cab. I rang up Manjiree and aborted the trip to the airport. In the meanwhile, yes, you guessed it right, I watched the clock till Neena reached home safe.
Neena’s daughter Anisha was to land at Mumbai Sahar Airport at 3.50 pm and I had arranged for a cab to go from Pune to fetch her. The cab driver was given detailed instructions and all went well and as I write this, Anisha is well on her way and will reach home in another half an hour or so. But, I watched the clock from 3.50 pm till 5.30 pm when I got the call from the cab driver that the passenger had been picked up and I spoke to Anisha on her phone. I am watching the clock till Anisha reaches home safe.
And I watched my wrist watch though what I did was really Clock Watching.
oh my!
people traveling always make me uneasy until they safely reach their destination.
and I’m a watcher too… and invariably things change. just as it did for you!
the marine will give you a time of his arrival… IF he’s the one driving.
and amazingly enough it is always right on the mark. I don’t know how he does it! our father drilled into us that talent. I have it somewhat… but not to the extent the marine does. and I have learned to not let it create anxiety for me. one of the ‘shoulds’ that has been hard to let go!
I think that it is a human thing. I hesitate to call it a failing, just a thing!
Watching the clock or watch while waiting makes time seem to drag out longer for me. Fortunately, I seldom “watch” time like that.
So far as a watch. I haven’t worn mine in almost 3 years. When I’m at a computer, the time is in on the lower right of the primary screen. When I’m not, there is often a clock in sight. If need be, I’ll check my phone. After “retiring” in 2007, I quit wearing my watch when I wasn’t working on contract. Then, when I went back to work, I would put it on for another several months. Now, though I’ve been back working for a year, my watch is still where I left it sitting nearly 3 years ago.
Time IS important, though. We are always prompt.
Mike recently posted..Independence Rock
I am slowly getting used to not being with a watch though when I get ready to go out, I automatically wear it when I access my drawer for my wallet, keys etc.
I just went through a similar situation yesterday sending my 15-years old granddaughter back to Texas. She’s trechnically an unasisted minor and there are additional layers of requirements so my son and his family met us for breakfast and the hand off for the ride to the Charlotte airport. Clock watching began an hour brfore we met for breakfast – it’s like that when getting a teenager up for anything,
Then there’s the clockwatching whilw watching TV. The shows you enjoy seem to be over in about 5 minutes regardless of there real lwngth. Other shows drag on forever.
I believe I will buy a watch today in support of your peoposition.
I hope that you did!
I must admit I’ve had jobs so tedious I was watching the clock most of the day longing to get out of the place and get home. I also watch the clock when I’m at an airport waiting for my flight to board. In fact there are very few situations where I don’t clock-watch fairly constantly. To forget the clock entirely I have to be extremely engrossed in something.
nick recently posted..Bravado
You are among the majority of human beings on this planet.
I have not worn a watch for years, and never miss it. I do manage to be on time for appointments and the alarm on my phone is there if I need it. Oops! I just checked the time on the laptop 01:13… time I settled down for some shut eye. night night!
Grannymar recently posted..Food Monday ~ Bread
Good Night to you too!
It’s been years since I’ve worn a wrist watch, but I do have a pedometer on my waist which tells me the time if I need it. I don’t have that many appointments, so I mostly don’t need to worry about the time. I love it that way. 🙂
Cheerful Monk recently posted..Sunny and Educational Day
I not only wear a wrist watch, I have clocks everywhere in the house and even a table alarm clock near my bed!
Perhaps that is why a clock is also called a “watch”.
Looney recently posted..2016 Moral Dilemma of the Year: How to react if a driver is stopped due to taking a selfie at an intersection?
Yes, particularly in the Navy,
Surprised to see so many commenting that they no longer wear wrist watches. I’m a dedicated ww wearer. Have three. Two very cheap battery-powered ones I switch when time changes from standard to daylight saving, and vice versa. One elegant, old, windup I wear when trying to be impressive (not really effective at that, but a dependable time keeper).
Gabbygeezer recently posted..It’s the Big 8-0
I too have four, though one has been locked away among the other valuables as it was a long service award from my employer without a battery. I wear the other three in turns.