Signs of the times
Forty years of teaching seven year olds to learn to tell the time.
We put notches in candles and burned them and discovered sundials.
We counted up to sixty in ones and fives.
Made clock faces with Past and To........Big hand counting the hours,Little hand looking at the minutes. Five past, ten past.........halving the clock face, quartering it.
Wrestling with Roman numerals and after that comes along the digital clock.
So we learn the twenty four hour clock.
This morning a catalogue comes through the letter box declaring,
'Simply place an order and you will receive a free
TALKING WATCH'
- Category: Alternative History
- Tags: What's the point?
4 comments add one below
-
Frenchie about 3 years ago
Marion, this is absolutely brilliant. I laughed so much. My own kids (and they are teens) still struggle with analog clocks. All the young people I know just whip out their phones from their pockets and look at the time like this.
I don't know how to use a sundial but I can tell the time pretty much without a watch when outside :-)Wow... I loved that drabble!
-
Marion E Ball about 3 years ago
Thank you for your comments. I have to hope that the sun shines on my sundial on one of these four dates, April15, June 15, Sept 1, Dec 24 then I can check it's accuracy. It has to be level and the gnomon has to face true north. The shadow seen at noon should show GMT.
-
Neville Hunt about 3 years ago
This is a super drabble, Marion, and the last short paragraph came as a surprise but said it all. But... it IS all worthwhile to me as no matter how digital it might be or spoken to me, the quickest way I can process what the time is, is by looking at the position of those hands on the dial. It’s instantaneous, whilst I have to process the numbers and the words. Great drabble.
-
Marion E Ball about 3 years ago
I remember my grandfather grappling with decimal currency. I liken myself to him with technology. I must move with the times but some of the old ways are the best.Do we realise what we are spending by just flashing a card?
