This is a metaphor for how times have changed, literally. In our farmhouse 60 years ago, there was one wallclock, with a long cord reaching down to an electrical outlet. No clocks with batteries in those days. That was it. One timepiece large enough for everyone to read. One.
When daylight savings time came and went, there was one clock to change. Somebody got up on a chair and changed it. It was always a big deal. And even though it preoccupied us when the big day for the change was coming, we still managed to make it late (or early) to church occasionally.
I am not counting the few wristwatches that might have been in our possession. The owners of those watches could manage to make the changes on their own. Depending on which car we owned at the time, there might have been a clock in it but we could be 98 per cent sure it didn’t work anyway so we didn’t have to worry about changing it.
Today, in our home, I changed 23 timekeepers, again, not counting wristwatches. But that is less than half of the items that keep track of time in our home. My best count is that we possess 55 objects that display time and I am probably leaving a few out. The other 32 devices that I didn’t have to physically change, alter their own times automatically.
To me, this proves that life was simpler back when I was young. Not easier, just simpler.
Here’s a breakdown of our timepieces: four wallclocks; four clock radios; two alarm clocks; two stand-alone decorative clocks; a digital thermostat; four cellphones; four cordless phones and one landline phone; two TVs that display time; a TV digital box; one VCR; one DVD recorder; six computers; two printers; two microwave ovens; two video cameras; three digital voice recorders; four hand-held gamers (DS and PSP); one X-Box; one WII; two iPods; two cars; and one lonely little letter opener. One clock – the one on the stove – doesn’t work.
Fifty-five objects in 2011 compared to one in 1956. Is life 55 times more complex than it was 55 years ago? Maybe all this says is that they hadn’t figured out how to put timepieces in every little thing back then. But maybe it goes a little deeper than that. I’d explain how for you but I don’t have the time right now. Too busy changing our devices that keep track of it.
©2011 Jim Hagarty
