What Good Is A Watch If All It Does Is Tell Time?

It's probably a safe bet that you own a watch, and more than likely you have it on your wrist right now! Go ahead, proudly display your watch right now! While you are admiring your watch, compare the time displayed on your watch with other watches around you, or with other time devices. Most likely the times displayed are different from your watch. Do you wonder which one is correct? Do you fret not knowing what the "real time" is? Does it matter? Do you really care?

Recently I experienced a very traumatic event. I discovered that my two watches stopped working. For them time was standing still, yet for me time kept ticking on and I was at a loss because I did not have immediate access to a time piece. For those of you who think that you are not clock watchers, just go for one day without a watch on and note how often that you look at your bare wrist for the time and then look elsewhere for the time. For me, it became a very disturbing experience and quite unaccommodating not to have time on my side - that is, on my wrist.

My quest became to purchase a new watch while autopsies were being performed to determine the demise of my two comatose watches (dead time)! In my quest, the question arose: What do I want a watch to do for me? That is, do I want a watch just to display the time or shall I impose other criteria?

Still at a loss having not yet purchased a new watch, I am reluctantly bound for the "time being" to wear a watch not up to my standards. I need some help so I pose the question to you, my honored and trustworthy reader, what kind of a watch should I be looking for? In other words, what good is a watch if all it does is tell time?

Let's start with the basics: A watch should provide one with the time - period; or perhaps that's a question mark? You see, just displaying the time is not that simple because there are many implications and considerations in that one simple requirement to "tell the time".

For example:
1) Accuracy: Is plus or minus a few seconds adequate or shall it synchronize to the National Atomic Clock with an accuracy of a millionth of one second deviation over two hundred years? Hey, that may be a critical decision when it comes to timing popcorn in a microwave oven!

2) Analog or digital: Do you realize that with the proliferation of digital displays how many of our youth today do not realize that Mickey Mouse has one arm longer that the other? I'll let you ponder that for a moment.
- If opting for an analog display, do I want each minute marked on the watch face? Do I want a second hand? Do I want a separate dial for the second hand so I can become mesmerized by the speed of that tiny hand screaming around that tiny dial, just watching time fly!
- If opting for a digital display, do I want the seconds displayed? Do I want the the twelve-hour or the twenty-four hour display? Fortunately, most digital watches offer both formats thus precluding us from wearing two separate digital watches at once.

3) Calendar: Do I also want to have displayed the date? How about the weekday and the date? How about the month too? And the year too? How about one with a perpetual calendar that automatically compensates for Leap years?

4) Waterproof or water resistant: And how many meters do I need the watch to resist water intrusion? Let's face it, will I be satisfied with a watch that will keep on ticking after a quick dip in a six-foot deep pool or with a watch that is guaranteed for over (or is it under) 300 meters. That reassurance may provide me with many a restful night.

DECISIONS - DECISIONS - DECISIONS

But, our decision menu has just begun! Today, in this time (to be semantically correct), with current technology just knowing the time and date 300 meters underwater in just not sufficient at all; substandard at least! Where would we be in this competitive and demanding world if all our watch did was to tell the time?

Why buy a watch that just tells the time when you can have a watch that:
- Plays Beethoven's Fifth on the hour or fraction thereof;
- Has a stop-watch function which is critical for timing grass growing;
- Multiple alarms that always seem to sound in the middle of a meeting or during church services;
- Doubles as a TV or VCR / DVD remote controller;
- Monitors your pulse or your blood pressure;
- Beeps in sync with your jogging pace;
- Vocalizes the time at the touch of a button;
- Dual time-zone functions so you know what time it is where you are not;
- Timers that count up or down;
- Offers a full-function calculator;
- and some watches even claim to light-up the night sky with its luminance!

All these functions and MORE...But...What more could one expect from a watch? Well, there is the Data-Link watch with which you can down-load from your personal computer such scripted messages and events such as:
- A fully programmable calendar with reminders and alarms to remind you of events such as meetings, birthdays, etc,.
- An address and telephone directory;
- Messages and memos;
- All functions one expects from a "Day-Timer" PLUS most of the features mentioned above.

And guess what else this modern-day Data-Link watch does - you won't believe this - go ahead and guess, I'll wait...

Yes - it tells the time!!!!!!!!

So, really, what good is a watch if all it does is tell time?

(Technical Presentation: Achievers Toastmasters Club circa 1995)

Raising Kids 101

Whenever your kids get out of control, take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to raising His kids. After creating the heavens, the earth, the oceans, and the entire animal kingdom, God created Adam and Eve; and the first thing He said to them was "DON'T"!

To the animals He never said "Don't". He hurled no negatives at the elephants, but to the brightest of His creatures, to the one's created in His image, to the one's that get into Yale He said "Don't"!

"Don't what?" Adam replied.

"Don't eat the Forbidden Fruit" God spate.

Well that got Adam's curiosity up: "Forbidden Fruit - really - where is it!"

(Is this beginning to sound familiar? You may have never realized, until now, that the pattern of child bearing had been laid down in the Garden of Eden!)

"It's over there" God pointed, wondering why He hadn't stopped with Creation after making the elephants.

A few minutes later God returned to find His kids having an apple-break and man was He angry!

"Didn't I tell you not to eat that fruit?" the First Parent bellowed.

"Uh-Huh" Adam replied.

"Then why did you?" retorted God.

"I don't know" Adam shrugged (at least he didn't say "No problem").

"All right then, get out of here, go forth, become fruitful, and multiply" God commanded.

As we parents have come to learn, God's command to Adam was not a blessing...but a curse! God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own (AHA!).

And so, Adam and Eve moved to the East-side of Eden, which was still the good part of town, and they had your typical suburban family, a couple of dim-witted boys. As typical with boys, one couldn't stand the other, and instead of leaving Eden and moving to Chicago, Cain had to slay Abel!

Thus the pattern of child-rearing was set for centuries to follow and the drama has never changed. But, there is redemption in this story for those of you whose offspring are not responding well to your wishes. If you have lovingly and persistently tried to give your children wisdom, and if they haven't absorbed your leadership, please do not be hard on yourself.

Find rest and comfort in knowing that if God had trouble rearing His children, what makes you think that it should be a piece of cake for you!

(Entertaining Speech: Achievers Toastmasters Club: 08/25/1993)

Blessings from Barbara:

Thanks for the thoughts and prayers, I truly understand the motivation behind them all, however, I am already truly blessed (as you are) because our sins have been forgiven from the Cross and God has promised us eternal salvation if we believe in Jesus' Death, Burial and Resurrection. Through God's Grace this truth is promised to everyone that believes and proclaims, and henceforth, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us and guide us. The beauty of it all is that one can enjoy the peace of salvation while we still live in this fallen world; we do not have to wait until death to enjoy Christ being with us. There is nothing that we do to earn salvation except to believe and say "Thank You" to God for loving us first.

If you agree to the above, then also do not worry about the Mayan year 2012 predictions or any other armageddon theories. Heck, you may die tomorrow so your immediate disposition must be firmly based upon God's Love and Grace so that at the moment you are dead you will be with Jesus for eternity.


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In the World

Do you notice how the World tries to subtly make sins against God to be normal and acceptable to society? Take for example issues such as premaritial sex, gay rights, and abortion just for starters. We should not be condoning temporary earthly pleasures but rather we should pursue that which pleases God! Our time here on Earth is so short compared to eternity and what we do in this short time will determine our eternal destiny. The question that we should ask is whether our wants and desires pleases us or pleases God.

DEAR FRIEND

 

Dear Friend,

Congratulations on your professional achievements and advancements within our company.  For those of us that have been here for awhile, we have watched you move through the rank and file on your journey to the upper echelon.  We were proud to have known you when you were simply “one of us”  versus your now being “one of them”.

Your exodus from the ranks of the worker bees to your current position as Queen Bee has left many of us wondering “at what price glory?”  Gone are the days when we felt comfortable sharing intellectual differences with you.  Now, our opinions are not even sought and when expressed we are considered to be argumentative and are categorized as non-team players. 

From the podium your words speak of The Team and how we are all valuable team members.  However, your actions away from the podium clearly demonstrate that we must have different team rosters.  Most of us are left sitting on the bench, on the sidelines, as the game progresses without our individual talents exploited.  It is apparent that your team roster consists of a circle of individuals from whence you came and from where you are at now.  You are quick to recognize them but fail to look beyond your office for those others deserving your nod of recognition and approval...and you used to be so good at sharing the wealth and kudos.

Do not mistake this letter to be anything but a heartfelt concern from the little people of this great company.  Each one of us is proud to be a part of this company’s success and we all anticipate a prosperous future.  We know this company will prevail because we have faith in our leadership and in our own abilities and commitments.  As individuals and as a company, we will succeed as we have in the past.  We truly believe this because we trust ourselves and entrust our colleagues, even if you do not.

Signed,

 

A friend