Time is running out for this Monday, the first day of June. I can't stop it, make it run slower or speed it up. Tasks, work, or the headache that knocked me down for half of the day make me think the day went by too quickly, and I could feel a bit disappointed that I was not able to use it better, for more things, but eventually I know, it is just my perception; time is running at the same pace everywhere and for everyone. True, one man devoted to science, said time is relative; another one, a musician, asked what time it is through a line in a song. But I will ask you to look at your clock and tell me what time it is at your place. If you did what I asked and you have the answer ready, then you have at least one item that will match the monthly theme for the Hive Collectors community!
I can imagine some of you would think what a weird topic for this month, but the idea for this collection, watches and clocks, came in one brewery in Alicante one month ago. We were hanging out with other Hivers during the HOD Alicante one Saturday evening, in the brewery La Mala Buena. Not sure whether I saw first the clock on the wall between the beer cans or Alessandra's peculiar wristwatch (several watches showing time of different time zones), but it was definitely there, and it was those moments that I decided the very next monthly theme will be the device we humans use to measure time.
I think and hope the theme doesn't sound so weird anymore. You see, a lot of time has passed since people started to measure it first by observing nature and the succession of days and nights, the changing seasons or the movements of stars. And things got more sophisticated when our ancestors invented tools like sundials or water clocks, but with the invention of mechanical clocks in the Middle Ages, there was no way back anymore. It all had to happen for one and a very good reason - to have now this theme in this community!
Ok, let's get serious. Let me present some of my clocks and those that belong to my family. These old wall clocks hang in the basement of my parents' home. Sorry for the dust on them... These three old clocks have been there for many, many years already, after their service of time measuring was finished in the grandparents' homes. They eventually ended up in the basement, where my dad tried to fix some of them.
Only one of them was successfully fixed, so it moved to live and continue showing time in the living room. It has a big swinging pendulum and marks every hour (as well as the quarter and half hours) with a sound. When my son was small and slept over at their house, the clock was stopped during the night so the little grandson wouldn't wake up. What will grandparents do for their little grandchildren... They wouldn't do it for my sister and me, that is for sure hahaha.
Coming to my living room, we can see this ITC gang.
🤔 what is that thing?
Ok, ITC stands for International Table Clocks, as I invented a name for them.
The minimalistic digital table clock comes from Sweden. Yeah, IKEA. It is cool as it is simple, but it also shows the date and the temperature of the air. Not nice during the summer, as today it already screamed 30 degrees Celsius. I should switch it off so we don't see it and don't panic about how it will be in August, for example.
Then we have here the Haller mantel clock with its rotating pendulum under the glass dome. It is coming from Germany, and I like it the most of all the clocks we have. We "inherited" it with the flat we bought, so I don't have the intention to ditch it ever. It lived here for who knows how long, so it stays.
The third clock from the International group is this ceramic viticulturist lady, growing some blue grapes, which has her origins in Japan. As you can see, she doesn't care about doing her job! Or is it just a fake indifference from her side? Actually, maybe she heard about the thing I mentioned (the mysterious scientist, Albert, saying that time is relative), so she also shows time in that way - in a very relative way. Always the same - twenty past twelve. 🤷♀ We can't even move the hands, it doesn't react to it, but this clock also stays with us as a part of decoration collection.
I could add another clock to the International gang, the kitchen wall clock. However, it is not a table clock, so it stays as an independent clock in my little collection. The peculiar thing with this one is that it gets the signal from who knows where, so in spring and autumn, when we have to change the time, it changes it by itself, but not to the correct time. It doesn't help when we set it manually, it changes by itself again as it wants. Usually, after a day or so, it accepts (and shows) the correct time.
The very next item in this collection is a new wristwatch I got as a gift from my son for Mother's Day. I got it one day before Mother's Day, which made me wear it proudly already that day. Who wouldn't love a gift from a son, regardless of the brand or shape?
And here I could still continue with the tools that show us time... on our phones, screens of different gadgets... Although truth be told, I almost never remember the time after seeing it on the screen 😂. Like, I ignore it or consider it just as a screensaver and not as information.
And what about you? What tool do you consult to know the time? Do you have clocks or watches at home? This is the monthly theme for June in the Hive Collectors Community, and if you would like to participate, you are very welcome to bring your contribution. Just hurry up, the time is running out...
Just kidding, there is time until the next month's topic. 😉
