My father was never late, never, ever late. Often arriving at parties 30 minutes early to the dismay of many hosts. His lessons in unending punctuality have taught me to respect the time of other people.
During my childhood, my father religiously tracked time on his Seiko that, at the time defined fine watchmaking. My father often told me that you didn’t even need a battery to power the timepiece. All this mechanical marvel needed was a quick shake in the morning and a day’s worth of wearing to make it run accurately. I was amazed not only that it worked without batteries but that this small device adorned daily on my father’s wrist was responsible for his reputation for reliability. Accompanying the spartan look was the sound I remember most.
When he quickly jostled his wrist, the hollow bracelet made a jingle-jangle that would forever be associated with my father.
I hadn’t seen that watch in 20 years until I found it this past Tuesday. After a few hours of cleaning, it is now back in a safe place and making that familiar jingle-jangle that will forever remind me to respect the time of others.
The Daily Digest of Marc Grabowski 