People under a certain age don't wear watches. I heard this during a TED talk, in which creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson asked watch-wearing audience members to raise their hands, and then keep them up in the air if they were over the age of 40. Not surprisingly, most hands stayed in the air. What an interesting connection, I thought. And the connection stuck.
I fit the post-40, watch-wearing profile. As one of the "old folks," it genuinely surprises me that a younger generation moves through the world without a watch, making the next meeting or appointment on time with help from the ever-evolving smart or cell phone. And yet, as I think of it further, I have to admit that it makes all the sense in the world. At this point of the technological continuum, is something as simple and singular in function as a watch really necessary anymore? Probably not. And so, when my archaic timekeeper went still, I figured I would try things the new way and spare myself another trip to the jeweler for a battery or a cleaning. For a full couple of months, I did it the way "kids today" do it.
How'd it work out for me? Frankly:
During walks with the pup, it got in my way. I found that I needed both of my hands to function as someone on dog-walking duties, which included a solid grip on the leash in either hand and perhaps, in addition, a loaded poop bag. Put it in a pocket? The easy answer on days when I wore a jacket. On hotter days, a waistband or bra strap was a less-than-secure place for a gadget that could cost hundreds to replace; a thought which crossed my mind every time it came close to hitting the concrete.
During purse-toting trips and chores, it eluded and distracted me. Even though I reminded myself to place it in the smaller, more accessible compartment, more often that not, I would find myself digging...and digging...and digging...feeling my wallet, my pocket calendar, my keys, over and over again, while my phone jumped into other compartments. Then, of course, when I would find it I would have to look at any text, phone or e-mail message had arrived.
After a couple of months of this, finally, without plan or intention, as I entertained my mom through a walk at the local mall, the end of the experiment arrived at a glorious tower of cheap wristwatches. The angels sang. For a brief moment, I actually considered walking past it. But no. It was the right thing to do because it's what works for me. And so, for $40 bucks, I got exactly - and only - what I needed.
It's a watch. It informs me only of the time. It's no small series of miracles, I admit, that we can communicate with each other, learn of the world, access an endless stream of information instantaneously, on a gadget half the size of a grilled cheese sandwich. But sometimes, most of the time, the time is all I need, and glancing at my wrist for it is equally as miraculous and valuable as any other means to that end.
Which makes me wonder about other ways in which we often complicate our lives...other ways in which we take three side-steps toward something that's just one step ahead...other strategies we use instead of the one that actually works for us...
The opportunity - and the time - is always present to ask: How can you simplify your life?
I fit the post-40, watch-wearing profile. As one of the "old folks," it genuinely surprises me that a younger generation moves through the world without a watch, making the next meeting or appointment on time with help from the ever-evolving smart or cell phone. And yet, as I think of it further, I have to admit that it makes all the sense in the world. At this point of the technological continuum, is something as simple and singular in function as a watch really necessary anymore? Probably not. And so, when my archaic timekeeper went still, I figured I would try things the new way and spare myself another trip to the jeweler for a battery or a cleaning. For a full couple of months, I did it the way "kids today" do it.
How'd it work out for me? Frankly:
During walks with the pup, it got in my way. I found that I needed both of my hands to function as someone on dog-walking duties, which included a solid grip on the leash in either hand and perhaps, in addition, a loaded poop bag. Put it in a pocket? The easy answer on days when I wore a jacket. On hotter days, a waistband or bra strap was a less-than-secure place for a gadget that could cost hundreds to replace; a thought which crossed my mind every time it came close to hitting the concrete.
During purse-toting trips and chores, it eluded and distracted me. Even though I reminded myself to place it in the smaller, more accessible compartment, more often that not, I would find myself digging...and digging...and digging...feeling my wallet, my pocket calendar, my keys, over and over again, while my phone jumped into other compartments. Then, of course, when I would find it I would have to look at any text, phone or e-mail message had arrived.
After a couple of months of this, finally, without plan or intention, as I entertained my mom through a walk at the local mall, the end of the experiment arrived at a glorious tower of cheap wristwatches. The angels sang. For a brief moment, I actually considered walking past it. But no. It was the right thing to do because it's what works for me. And so, for $40 bucks, I got exactly - and only - what I needed.
It's a watch. It informs me only of the time. It's no small series of miracles, I admit, that we can communicate with each other, learn of the world, access an endless stream of information instantaneously, on a gadget half the size of a grilled cheese sandwich. But sometimes, most of the time, the time is all I need, and glancing at my wrist for it is equally as miraculous and valuable as any other means to that end.
Which makes me wonder about other ways in which we often complicate our lives...other ways in which we take three side-steps toward something that's just one step ahead...other strategies we use instead of the one that actually works for us...
The opportunity - and the time - is always present to ask: How can you simplify your life?
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