Growing up, we had one clock in the kitchen. Adults had wrist watches.
This past Sunday, it was Spring Forward, or daylight savings time here in Ohio.
I checked our radio controlled clocks. Then, as I manually started to change the others, it hit me: I’m surrounded by clocks. A wall clock in the kitchen, a clock in the living room, a clock in each of our offices, two alarm clocks (his and hers) in our bedroom, clocks in each bathroom, then of course the ones built-in to the microwave, stove, computer, iPhone, car dashboard…
What does being surrounded by reminders of time do to us?…time passing; time lost (hurry! going to be late); time to be utilized (guess I can squeeze in one more thing before the next appointment).
Does the constant reminder create a subtle urgency; a need to “get on with it already!” What ever it is?
There’s evidence that losing the hour with daylight savings time negatively affects our health, disrupts our sleep and results in more accidents. But I’m beginning to feel that the whole emphasis on time is even more insidious. It pulls us away from our direct, sensuous, enjoyment and experience of life. Our attention instead is constantly pulled outward to the next thing to be done.
So I ask myself, “What clocks could I live without?” Maybe I’ll start small. Today, the bathroom clock is going to the basement.
This is such a great article on beginning to notice how the constant reminder of time affects us. I appreciate your thoughts on this and am now thinking about reducing the number of clocks in my world as well.
I was with someone over the weekend who said she doesn’t wear a watch on the weekends. Another great idea!
Thanks. I like the idea of not wearing a watch on weekends too. What else can I eliminate…a challenge here.
As usual, you’re right on target! Thanks for this entry. I found myself yearning for the days when time translated to late winter or early spring rather than 6:57:54. I wonder if that’s part of why it seems to be accelerating … because we’ve conditioned ourselves so thoroughly to track its passage.
I wonder if you are right Paula. I guess we create even our sense of time.
That is a new idea to go into Spring with. More time, fewer clocks. Thank you, Barbara.
Jenny, I did put the bathroom clock into the basement. And…I kept looking for it last night while taking my evening bath, etc. I’m now really wondering how much I am clock driven without being aware.
Great post, Barbara. A few years back I realized I was frequently looking at my wrist watch but not really seeing what time it was. That made me think that the time burden I feel is a result of how I think about time. I stopped wearing my watch to see if that helped, as sort of an experiment. I quickly, and unintentionally, replaced it with my cell phone. As I think about that I wonder if the time pressure isn’t a symptom of a struggle to feel like we’re enough…. if only we had more time we could be/do more. If we don’t meet the deadline or are late then we’re not enough?
Vicki, good question. It leads me to ask myself, “Who or what am I comparing myself to, whose expectations am I trying to meet?”