It was in the late 70's when a traditional clock literally changed faces in my world, and I was fixated.
We had driven up to Ozark, Alabama the day after Christmas for our traditional visit with my grandma and grandpa Brannan. This was our chance to see my father's side of the family and for him and my brother to go deer hunting with his brothers. My mother would join some old friends to go junking which we refer to today as "thrifting." And I would hang out with my cousins and my grandparents.
My grandmother worked for a department store called Roses. At this time the town of Franklinton did not even have the soon-to-come TG&Y. We still traveled to Bogalusa for "Big Groceries" and Myles and The Palace were the only "Drive-ins" available. For this reason, I was always amazed with the gadgets grandma had around her house from this store like her bean bag ash trays, her plastic gold dolphins hanging over her tub and the large life size dolls she would give me for Christmas.
On this particular visit next to our bed in her guest bedroom she had bought a brand-new clock with a built in alarm. But the face on this clock had no hands and digital was yet to be introduced into our world. So, what the face of this clock did was slowly turn a block to the next number to display the time. It was like suspended and slowly knowing just when to flip to pass another minute.
I could not stop staring at this phenomenon to the point that my mother put me on the other side to wedge between me and the clock so I would go to sleep. I was already a hyperactive child, so the introduction of this odd invention brought my chin resting on her hip to continue watching this clock. Mom turned it to face the other way and at some point, I must have fallen asleep.
So, when I got my first digital clock from Jennifer's dad's Western Auto in Franklinton I was not as blown away with this newest display of time. But I made sure to have one next to my bed on my little nightstand with a ceramic dish to put my chewed gum on the bunny tail at night. Mom had had to cut gum out of my hair one too many times.
What brought all these memories flooding back was a recent Christmas present from my son, Jonathan. I can always count on one son to cook traditional gumbos and etouffees for gifts, another son to build me things for my house, and another to propagate fruit trees and plants for our Christmas. But Jonathan, aside from our usual exchange of books, always has something new and trendy.
Thanks to AI I am sure. I now have a clock that sits next to my computer that changes face each minute; however, with each new minute is a quote from some novel that references the exact time that is displayed but only for that minute because the next minute will pop up a new quote. For example, "For the twentieth time she looked at her watch; it was twenty minutes to seven." --- Alistair MacLean, Where Eagles Dare.
And thus, this is why my new gift is not placed beside my bed. I am even hard pressed to appreciate it next to my computer. As I work away Mark Twain pops up out of the corner of my eye and my attention shifts. And because that minute is only seconds away from changing the quote is missed. And just like actual time, there is no rewind. And clearly it is obvious that like actual time the moment suspended in mid air is snatched away along with the quote and my attention span, but I can't keep from glancing over to see what the next moment brings.
Mankind may not be able to alter time or elongate time, but we sure are good and keeping it "up to date" with an evolving display as time marches on.
