Wednesday, January 3, 2007

Residual Childhood Anxiety

Lady just asked me for the time while I was in line at Dunkin Donuts. I looked at my watch and felt a wave of terror wash over me. It's as if there's a little part of me that still remembers how it felt to NOT know how to tell time (on an analog watch with hour/minute hands). Whenever someone asks for the time, or for directions somewhere I get this momentary stage fright. I once had a girl ask me for directions to a professor's office after class and after she walked away I realized I'd sent her not just to the wrong office, but to the wrong building... like three blocks away. And this was only last Fall.

But this time I settled myself down and calmly said "Twenty after two." The lady thanked me, and I exited stage left with my coffee and my dignity.

8 comments:

Randy said...

Was the ladies' room to your left when you exited? 'Cause that would've taken your dignity right quick.

Pat said...

I've done that before. It's like: "the pressure's on. You better remember how to tell time". Then I stumble over whether to say "2:35" or "25 of 3". Actually,I say either of those regardless of what time it is. It's all I know. Really, whenever anyone even comes near you I say just run away.

Dave said...

Maybe in the future I'll just point to my watch and say "This? Oh, this is a birthmark. You thought it was a watch, right? I get that all the time."

Pat said...

Or you can say "It may take me a minute to calculate it in your Earth years."

Randy said...

I never wear a watch, so I never get asked for the time -- which really ticks me off. Just because I don't wear a watch doesn't mean I don't know what time it is. Does one have to wear a watch to be an authority on the time? Perhaps I do know the correct time. Maybe I happen to know the time more precisely than some bozo whose shiny, diamond-rimmed Chopard is running slow.

Okay, so I don't know any numerals beyond 7 and have yet to master the difference between AM and PM. But people don't have to be so exclusionary.

Dave said...

I'm actually quite good a guessing the time without a watch. I usually get it within 10-15 minutes of the actual time. I use my power to AMAZE MY FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES.

Randy said...

Had you been born a hundred years ago, P.T. Barnum would've made you an international star. You might even have been made into a Barnum's Animal Cracker.

Something to shoot for if you ever get that cardboard time machine of yours to work...

Pat said...

I can usually guess what day of the week it is within 3 days. Usually....sometimes I say something like "Fronday", which isn't a day at all.