The other day as I was rushing to work I glanced at my clock to see if I was running late. It read 8:23am and I was relieved to know that I had 7 minutes to make it to the parking garage and up to the floor of the clinic I needed to be on (which, in my calculation, would take 5 minutes). Sorry to disappoint, but this is not the beginning of an exciting story about me overcoming obstacles and miraculously making my way to work anyhow. This is merely a self-reflection piece. So gear up for cheesy useless Katie thoughts.
I realized at that moment in the car that there was no doubt in my mind that it was exactly 8:23am and it dawned on me that somewhere along the line, sometime in the last few years, I had stopped setting all my clocks ahead. It used to be standard for me, starting back in high school, to set my clocks at least 10-13 minutes ahead. People would always say, “But if you know it’s fast, you’ll just allow yourself to take more time.” This was not entirely true. I wouldn’t watch while I set the clocks ahead. I would close my eyes and hold down the button for a few seconds on each clock. None of them would say the same time and none of them would be the correct time, so there was no way of knowing what time it really was.
Of course, I had to redo this every so often once I would catch on to how fast they were because, yes, I would of course adjust to that time difference and invariably be late anyway. Especially if one clock is 12 minutes fast, but the other is only 7 minutes, because I would get them mixed up and think I had 5 more minutes of dilly dallying to do.
So where does this bring me? Today, all my clocks are within a minute of each other and a few of them are dead on. I find myself on time more often and I am more realistic about how long it takes for me to get anywhere or do anything.
So the other day in the car, I thought to myself, “When did all this start? When did I stop setting them ahead? And what does it say about me? Does it signify anything?”
I thought maybe it meant I was finally growing up. Or perhaps I was just becoming more responsible (those two things could go hand in hand). Then again, having a real job with real people waiting for you (not just people who want their porn, or other teenagers wanting to leave work) might make you take promptness more seriously.
In the end, I’ve decided that the real cause for my new “clock behavior” is due to cell phones. Specifically cell phones that set their time through the magic little signal coming through the air. Not to mention my need to catch a plane on time.
So I ask you this, how many of you set your clocks ahead? And if you did once, but don’t anymore, can pinpoint when and why that changed? Thoughts?
I’ve always been hardcore about having accuracy in my time pieces, because I’m really paranoid about being late for things.. just ask amy.. I’m usually rediculously early for everything… I have an atomic clock on the wall in my living room, for crap’s sake!
I think the cell phone thesis for your situation is solid, though.. I know amy set her clocks ahead at some point.. we’ll see what she has to say for herself on this one…
I set my bedroom clock ahead because I am ALWAYS running late in the morning. Although I know it is set ahead, it still helps me to leave at a certain time and not be late (most of the time). All my other clocks are set OK but it bugs me that the computer clock is different from the clock on my work phone that is different from my watch that is different from my car…it never ends.
Do you set your alarm to wake you up so you can push the snooze at least once or twice and still not be late? I do that also…
I used to set my clocks about ten minutes fast as well, Katie. I’m glad to know I wasn’t the only one. I do think there is a little psychological benefit to that. It’s as if to say, it’s going to be 8:30 in ten minutes, but it isn’t right now…I still have these few minutes to myself. But even though I don’t have a cel phone, I have noticed those automatic clocks have become more prevalent. A lot of new VCRs have functions that set the clock automatically when you autoprogram them. Maybe this is a conspiracy to impose orthodox views of time on people. Just another example of the Man trying to keep us down…
my watch, alarm clock & car clock are all set to the time clock @ work, which is 5 minutes faster than the time on my cell phone, but none of my clocks are set any further a head than that. When I’m off work the watch stays in the car and i go by cell phone time.
I set all my clocks precisely 24 hours ahead of the real time. This works wonderfully, except on Friday when everybody gets mad at me for not showing up to work because I think it’s Saturday.
Have I mentioned that I really hate my job?
fascinating. You are absolutely fascinating!
I have always set my clocks ahead by various amounts I’ve never bothered to judge. I always enjoy the moment when I realize I have more time than I thought. Somehow I’ve never caught on that I usually have this time. At one point my car clock was exactly 1 hour and 12 minutes fast which irritated more than one person but I always knew the time. I gave up wearing a wristwatch 14 years ago. I find that I have a fantastic sense of time because of it. So the clocks around me serve as a general guide. Most of the time I am punctual, but I am occasionally running behind. I blame it more on me than the clocks. Some days the bed feels so good.
I still set my watch and car clock ahead and I use exactly the same method you described, KT… closing my eyes and everything. My alarm clock is an atomic clock so I can’t set it ahead but I do set the alarm for earlier than I need to so I can hit the snooze 3 or 4 (or 5 or 6) times. Once I get up I don’t look at that clock again because I know it’s set for the correct time.
My husband makes fun of me on a regular basis because I go through a lot of work to make sure I don’t know what time it really is. I’m having difficulty letting go of it but perhaps that will change when I’m employed again.
I set my bedroom clock ahead. About 8 minutes. Why 8? I don’t know. Good even number, I guess.
All my other clocks are correct.
BTW, where are my pictures? Have you ever seen the movie, Better of Dead, with John Cusack? He is followed/haunted by the paper boy who wants is two dollars…that is who I will become to you if you don’t watch out, KT! 🙂
There was a time when I set my clocks ahead, but seeing as I am perpetually late for everything it didn’t help. I always made the adjustment in my head and always still ended up being late. I do, though, set my alarm clock early so I can hit snooze several times. In fact, I need to set it even earlier because I’ve been snoozing too much recently. I know this annoys Johnny to no end, but I really truly can not get up the first time the alarm goes off.
My clocks are all on time. I usually show up for things either on the nose, or one to two minutes early. The only time I’m massive early is for concerts or movies (to get good seats), but for work and meetings and meet-ups, it always right on time. And I’m never late.
Also, I think I have a weird sixth sense for estimating time . . . if I have to drive somewhere across town, I can usually guess the actual driving time within 2 minutes. I think it goes hand in hand with my stellar sense of direction.
And that settles it. I just established myself as the greatest living American.
Time. GRRR. I live a MILE from work. I leave at 7:55. I should be there in like a minute or two right? Somehow I get to work at 8:05 or even 8:10 every day. I could probably walk faster than that. I used to always be on time or very early for everythign but I go months with being late late late. That’s all.
Why don’t you blog about your date like Joey did? Hmmm???
Yeah, but did you get to work on time? That was ostensibly the question you should have answered considering your introductory paragraph.
Anyway, all my clocks are and always have been exactly on time. (Your cell phone clock is on time too, btw, since it sets itself by its signal, and probably your VCR too.)
And what about those dates??
Scott, you’re right, i never did tell the end of that part of the story. i got to work with not a second to spare. perfect timing. But at the end of my entry I did mention that my cell phone is always right and that’s why I probably have most of my clocks right now because of that signal. Why bother setting my clocks ahead when my cell phone is always going to tell me the right time? I mean, it acts as my watch now, basically. 🙂
I’m with Johnny and Kris here – I never set my clocks ahead at all because I am crazy paranoid about being on time, so am usually way early. Perhaps this is because my Mom is the punctuality Nazi and has been known to freak out if she gets to work ON TIME. I’m not kidding. At any rate, I too agree that having a cell phone makes trying to be unaware of the real time an impossibility. Unless of course you never use your cell phone. Then you would still be veiled in sweet sweet ignorant bliss.
I’m 33 and I still set my watch and alarm clock 5 to 7 minutes ahead. My vcr and cell phone set their own time, but I’m convinced they are slow. If I program my vcr to tape at 8, it usually cuts off part of the show I’m taping as it also does at the end of the show. If I go by my cell phone, it seems like I’m always a little late, so it just goes to show you that businesses must set their clocks ahead as well. It just seems odd that all these self setting clocks should tell the same precise time, but I’m convinced they don’t.
Another issue about tardiness, I’m O.K. if I’m 5 minutes late for something although I still make excuses for myself, but if I’m later than that I get really stressed out and panicky. I find it bizarre how one of my students showed up an hour late for class and didn’t say anything about why he was so late.
I’m 33 and I still set my watch and alarm clock 5 to 7 minutes ahead. My vcr and cell phone set their own time, but I’m convinced they are slow. If I program my vcr to tape at 8, it usually cuts off part of the show I’m taping as it also does at the end of the show. If I go by my cell phone, it seems like I’m always a little late, so it just goes to show you that businesses must set their clocks ahead as well. It just seems odd that all these self setting clocks should tell the same precise time, but I’m convinced they don’t.
Another issue about tardiness, I’m O.K. if I’m 5 minutes late for something although I still make excuses for myself, but if I’m later than that I get really stressed out and panicky. I find it bizarre how one of my students showed up an hour late for class and didn’t say anything about why he was so late.