So these last two days were a bit difficult for me. See, my watch fell apart on Saturday evening. Now mind you, I kind of knew that it was getting ready to go, because in January, the band started to rip, having torn about halfway through. At that time, I decided to make some emergency repairs:
What won’t duct tape do, eh? It’s like this guy’s shirt said: “Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together.” Indeed it does. My duct tape repair managed to hold it together.
Then fast forward to last week, and my watch band started to develop a tear on the other side of the buckle. I decided not to use duct tape on this one, because (A) the duct tape hadn’t weathered all that well on the other side, and (B) two tears says it’s time for a new watch. I was planning to go watch shopping soon, but not quite…
Then on Saturday, my watch band finally fell apart after I got home from photographing the Egypt demonstration. It tore completely through on the second, newer tear. Well, ain’t that a beaut. I was already planning to go watch shopping, and so this just moved the schedule up a bit. Once the one side was breached (and thus irreparably damaged), I finished off the other side. Thus we had this:
The watch is in multiple pieces, with the lower ends of the band on both sides completely severed from the rest of the watch.
So starting Saturday night, I was without a watch. But for the rest of the weekend, I was okay. I could handle not having a watch for the most part, though doing laundry was a little troublesome. See, I usually look at my watch when I start a load to determine when to come back for the load, and without a watch, I had to remember to look at the computer when I got back into the living room (the laundry room in my apartment building is shared). And at least once, I didn’t. I went watch shopping on Sunday night in Germantown, and unfortunately, I bombed big time. All the watches that fit my specifications were just a shade too snug. So I resigned myself to the fact that I would have to go to work watchless on Monday.
And let me tell you – it was an absolute hell without a watch at work today. If it tells you anything, I missed my bus this morning, and ended up having to drive to work because I spent too much time in the shower because I wasn’t able to properly pace myself. See, I have a routine. At 7:47, I am in the shower. Then out of the shower at 7:57. I should be dry, fully groomed, and ready to get dressed by 8:02, dressed by 8:07, and at the bus stop by 8:09. Without a watch, I totally blew that. Then at the office, I looked at my naked wrist quite a bit, completely out of habit. It’s very strange not having a timepiece on your wrist at all times. I had to actually ask people what time it was, look at my cell phone, or look at my computer clock. This was a bit disturbing to me, considering what I’m accustomed to.
Then after work, since I already had the car, I tried again on watch shopping. First of all, for my father and a few others who suggested I get a watch with a velcro band, here’s why I don’t:
Fully extended, that’s how far I got it down onto my hand. It would not go further. Additionally, I don’t like the velcro (or any sort of fabric) bands because I like to take my watch in the shower and swimming and such, and I don’t want the band to be all wet for long periods.
So I ended up getting this:
It’s a similar design as before, but look at the band. That’s different. This is a metal band with a completely different kind of closure than I’m used to. But it fits, and I think the metal band adds a touch of sophistication to things, while still being a Timex Ironman digital watch like I like.
And the moral of the story is that you don’t know how much you depend on something until it’s gone. I’ve been wearing a watch since 1992, when I was 11 years old (and I am now 29). For the last eighteen-and-change years, I had a watch. And two days without one drove me up the wall, even with all the electronic devices. Before the cell phone, after all, I had my watch. Before the Windows 95 taskbar clock, I had my watch. I had become dependent on it, that’s for sure. I could control time, so to speak, because I always knew what time it was. And to not have a watch, like I experienced today, was a world that I don’t want to be in.
So I’m glad I have a watch again. Hopefully I won’t have to go an extended period without a watch again for a very long time.