My family visited Audubon Park in New Orleans when I was about nine years old and my brother about five. We came upon a sundial set among flowers. Someone asked how to tell the time on the thing. My brother, who had no real idea how to read it, glanced at the gnomon and simply repeated a phrase he had overheard grownups use, “It’s a shade past two.” Coincidentally, it WAS a couple of minutes after two… so he’d managed to be correct and toss off a fairly sophisticated play on words, entirely by accident. Hilarity, as you might guess, ensued.
As a kid, learning to tell time was an achievement. About 25 years ago, the incoming kids at school couldn’t read a clock with numbers on it—only digital readouts. They must learn it eventually, though, as traditional clocks are still sold. Unfortunately, the windup clock/watch is mostly a thing of the past. I found the ticking of an old wooden-case clock much more soothing than the “ping” of battery-run clocks today.
My nieces sturggled to learn analog, while that’s all I own: I can’t read a digital watch with my normal “distance” glasses on: have to peer over them. And I’m just an archaic-type anyway. My favorite watch is solar-powered with an analog dial, digital day/date/alarm/stopwatch, and radio-time-signal updates. Best of both worlds.I also have a real cuckoo clock, and a wind-up ship’s bell clock. I haven’t tried explaining the bells to the nieces yet. “Six bells— seven o’clock!”
There are lots of huge analog clocks still in use, on schools, churches, city halls and rr stations. I like the chiming ones. (My son is 30 and still can’t read an analog clock)
Actually I think that analog watches and clocks are more prevalent than digital ones. I know that when I bought my current (digital) watch a few years ago they were about 50-50 in Sears. Tech reporters keep telling us how “nobody wears watches anymore; they just look at their smart phones.” The smart phone is essentially a pocket watch though and therefore inherently less efficient than any wrist watch. Consider the process to find the time. With my wrist watch I (1) lift my wrist to a proper viewing position, (2) twist my wrist to observe the watch face. With my LG G3 smart phone, I (1) remove the phone from whatever pocket I have it in, (2) hold the phone at the proper viewing position, (3) open the protective cover (4) wake the phone up. So, it’s very much like a pocket watch, very 19th century.
Templo S.U.D. over 8 years ago
Violet doesn’t know how to tell time yet? She must be wearing the watch just to look fancy.
jimmjonzz Premium Member over 8 years ago
My family visited Audubon Park in New Orleans when I was about nine years old and my brother about five. We came upon a sundial set among flowers. Someone asked how to tell the time on the thing. My brother, who had no real idea how to read it, glanced at the gnomon and simply repeated a phrase he had overheard grownups use, “It’s a shade past two.” Coincidentally, it WAS a couple of minutes after two… so he’d managed to be correct and toss off a fairly sophisticated play on words, entirely by accident. Hilarity, as you might guess, ensued.
orinoco womble over 8 years ago
As a kid, learning to tell time was an achievement. About 25 years ago, the incoming kids at school couldn’t read a clock with numbers on it—only digital readouts. They must learn it eventually, though, as traditional clocks are still sold. Unfortunately, the windup clock/watch is mostly a thing of the past. I found the ticking of an old wooden-case clock much more soothing than the “ping” of battery-run clocks today.
therese_callahan2002 over 8 years ago
“At the sound of the tone, it will be four o’clock.” That’s how radio stations did it back in the day.
steverinoCT over 8 years ago
My nieces sturggled to learn analog, while that’s all I own: I can’t read a digital watch with my normal “distance” glasses on: have to peer over them. And I’m just an archaic-type anyway. My favorite watch is solar-powered with an analog dial, digital day/date/alarm/stopwatch, and radio-time-signal updates. Best of both worlds.I also have a real cuckoo clock, and a wind-up ship’s bell clock. I haven’t tried explaining the bells to the nieces yet. “Six bells— seven o’clock!”
iggyman over 8 years ago
There are lots of huge analog clocks still in use, on schools, churches, city halls and rr stations. I like the chiming ones. (My son is 30 and still can’t read an analog clock)
Darryl Heine over 8 years ago
“Does your watch tell the time?” “No, you just look at it!”
loner34 over 8 years ago
I can’t find a decent DIGITAL watch, they are all either analog or “sports” watches.
neverenoughgold over 8 years ago
Although I always wear a watch, one with hands and winds itself, when I am home I just listen for the grandfather clock chimes…
bmckee over 8 years ago
Actually I think that analog watches and clocks are more prevalent than digital ones. I know that when I bought my current (digital) watch a few years ago they were about 50-50 in Sears. Tech reporters keep telling us how “nobody wears watches anymore; they just look at their smart phones.” The smart phone is essentially a pocket watch though and therefore inherently less efficient than any wrist watch. Consider the process to find the time. With my wrist watch I (1) lift my wrist to a proper viewing position, (2) twist my wrist to observe the watch face. With my LG G3 smart phone, I (1) remove the phone from whatever pocket I have it in, (2) hold the phone at the proper viewing position, (3) open the protective cover (4) wake the phone up. So, it’s very much like a pocket watch, very 19th century.
francisrossi over 8 years ago
1951? Be a wrist-mounted sundial.