Five of my six Grandkids now proudly proclaim that they can tell time.(the sixth just turned one, we’ll cut him some slack). I then inquire “What do you tell it?” To which they turn to their parents and say, “Grampa’s doing it again”.

Yes, Grampa is doing what Grampa does, asking them to think about the words they use. In this case it even goes a bit deeper than that. Ever since my kids were taught how to read the hands on a clock I have been asking the question, “Why?” What value is there in using this ancient display mechanism to “tell time”? Most of their teachers argued that with digital displays being so common place, kids could no longer read a traditional clock. “So?” I would ask. To which they would look at my wife and say “He’s doing it again”.

In the 60s there was a song by a quite harmonius group called The Association. The lyric from that song now etched into my psyche is “I took off my watch and found I had all the time in the world”. 5 years ago, I did just that. I took off my digital watch and stopped letting time tell me what to do. It’s been an interesting experience. Now when someone asks me “Do you have the time?” I can always answer “Yes”.

Last weekend I found the time to write the first draft of my pilot script for “Considering SomeplaElse: Podcasts from the Future”. For those of you who speak texting, it’s CSE or PFTF. I also watched olympic trials, fireworks, most of the Burn Notice Marathon (GREAT SHOW!), a few key episodes of the twilight zone, went to a 4th of July pool party(can’t be outside in Phoenix for more than 5 minutes unless you are, at least, knee deep in water), built a mosaic backsplash, went grocery shopping, shipped books to Barnes and Noble for an upcoming festival in Hollywood, AND completed the design of the “Read Books” Poster I am going to unveil this coming weekend. I accomplished all this without a timepiece strapped to my wrist and without ever watching time pass through the hands of a clock.

I know, I’m doing it again. I also know that some people need to measure time precisely in their work, like the time keepers at the Olympic trials. If you are one of those people, you need a very accurate time piece, that is easy to read and capable of measuring to hundreths or even thousandths of a second. A set of three hands on a clock face are not really going to be an optimum solution for you, even if you were taught this was the way to “know what time it is”. But if you just want a pretty traditional clock to carry around, you don’t need a watch…you need a Look.