This is topic The non-watch-wearers are a parasitic sub-society in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.


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Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
 
Lots of people get around fine without a watch. They show up to events when they're ready to go, knowing that nothing important will happen until they're present, knowing that the bus would never leave without them.

When breakfast is done and it's time for the keynote speaker, they know that they can just follow the crowd so they'll get there on time.

When the dance is getting started, they wander in when it looks like the most people are there.

And then, there's the host faction of society:

They show up on time, load their things on the bus, and then have to sit there for 45 minutes, making calls to non-watch-wearers who are late and who can't be left behind.

They hurry and eat their breakfast so they can get to the speaker on time and get a good seat, and then wait to hear the speaker start 10 minutes late as everyone else files in loudly and takes a while to find a seat.

They show up on time to the dance, and try to have fun for 2 hours until enough people show up to constitute "critical mass" for retaining those who wander in. They are always part of the critical mass but have trouble convincing other people to stick around so there will be something going on.

Not that there's anything wrong with these behaviors; I've decided it must just be a biological adaptation. The late ones just suck our chronometric blood as a survival tactic. Right.
 

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Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
Um, what about those of us who wear a watch, have many clocks, and try to be on time for things . . . but don't always quite manage?
 

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Posted by lcarus (Member # 4395) on :
 
All of the people who are chronically late are non-watch wearers?

All people who don't wear watched are habitually late?

What about people who can't wear watches because of skin allergies?


 

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Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :
 
What about those of us who used to be a part of the chrono-bunch and just don't give a fig anymore?

You know - we decided to not increase our blood pressure past livable conditions and join the more happy-go-lucky-folks-that-will-live-forever crowd?

You know - those of us who keep trying to turn in our Type AAA personality profiles for a happier more gentle way of life?

(Don't mind me - just a bad mom day)
 

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Posted by Pixie (Member # 4043) on :
 
What about those of us who don't wear watches but are always on time or early anyway?
 

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Posted by T_Smith (Member # 3734) on :
 
I don't wear a watch. There are clocks on walls at home, school and work. If I'm out and about, like at a mall, I don't want to be reminded when I'm supposed to go home. I don't want to have to beat a clock to get to the next thing I need to do. I don't want to look at my wrist to determine if its time to eat or not, my stomach can do that (otherwise, if its after 12:30 pm, I'm eating, regardless if I'm hungry or not). If I show up late to a party or a dance or something, I can still enjoy it, rather than be there longer than needed (for example, school dances lasting 3 hours. Honestly, who needs to be there 3 hours when you can be doing a day activity instead or enjoying your dinner). I'm considerate enough that, if needing to catch a bus, there are plenty of stores, and other people around to ask the time. Movies, you can show up really early to and walk around the mall, or show up 5 or 10 minutes late and only miss the previews. Sure, I'm going to be walking in front of people if late, but what are they missing, really?

I'm happy not wearing a watch.
 

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Posted by Rappin' Ronnie Reagan (Member # 5626) on :
 
Amen, T.
 

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Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
Um, Annie, the last time we had this discussion, weren't you on the other side of the fence?
 

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Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
 
If you can still function and do things on time without a watch, you're part of the host. The host is the part that makes sure things happen on many levels - not just chronometric.
 

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Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
 
Rivka - yes. And to quote Ralphie:

quote:

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Annie - You're a watch-wearer. Actually wearing the watch is neither here nor there.

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Posted by T_Smith (Member # 3734) on :
 
If you can still function without the use of a watch, and still slack off with the use of a watch, then obviously, it is not the lack of watch that makes one this parasite you are talking about.
 

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Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
 
I think you're right, T. It's the lack of caring about the time. But we shall define this as "non-watch-wearing" for semantical purposes and so as to not make me look like an ass.
 

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Posted by T_Smith (Member # 3734) on :
 
But of course.

And, I wasn't making you feel like an ass, was I?
 

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Posted by Rappin' Ronnie Reagan (Member # 5626) on :
 
Annie, get on AIM.
 

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Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
 
I never look like an ass.

*wags tail*
 

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Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
What I want to know is, who are these people for whom busses and parties wait? Cuz when I'm late, I miss the bus (usually by like a minute) or the best part of the speech or whatever.
 

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Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
 
The late people usually have to be in a mass for their tactics to work. You know - like viruses. And they usually are.
 

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Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
 
Figures. Even my lateness is insufficiently co-ordinated.
 

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Posted by Javert (Member # 3076) on :
 
*breathes sigh of relief*

I so thought this thread was gonna be about people like me.

*has a pocket watch*
 

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Posted by Rolf Singer (Member # 3972) on :
 
Dont wear a watch, never have, and I'm chronically early for everything......I think it's discourteous to be late, and that has nothing to do with whether you wear a watch or not.
 

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Posted by lcarus (Member # 4395) on :
 
hmm . . . if late people are parasitic, why do early people need them at their parties so?

Sounds like the early people are parasoitic, because they can't have a party until the late people arrive.

-o-

People would also be less inclined to be late if stuff started on time. As it is, why arrive on time to a lecture, and then sit and wait? I hate to arrive at a doctor's office for a 10:30 appointment and wait until noon to be seen. Why didn't they tell me the real time to show up, instead of a pretend time?
 

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Posted by lcarus (Member # 4395) on :
 
Here, a gift for non-watch wearers.
 

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Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
 
that's really cool, Icarus.
 

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Posted by Richard Berg (Member # 133) on :
 
The watchless aren't the majority of the late crowd, I don't think. No -- the reason they're parasitic is because they award themselves the right to ask other people what time it is. Kind of like smokers who don't carry a lighter (granted this was more common in Europe).
 

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Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
 
That link was kind of unnerving. I'm not really sure why.
 

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Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
 
I don't wear a watch.

I don't ask other people what time it is.

I'm one of the lucky few that can guess what hour of the day it is and usually get it right, given a 5 minute spread.
 

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Posted by Olivetta (Member # 6456) on :
 
I usually wear a watch, except to the gym or biking, because I don't want to damage/lose it or get it all sweaty.

But I'm chronically inconsistent. That is, I can be late, I can be early. I can miss something entirely by convincing myself it is Tuesday instead of Monday, therefore the kids don't have to go to Choi Kwang Do.

I imagine my erratic schedule would frustrate any burglars trying to 'case the joint'.


 

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Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
 
No, we cased it just fine. . .

Oh! Um. . . no we didnt'.
 

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Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
 
Like Rolf Singer and others here, I don't wear a wristwatch and am chronically early everywhere anyway.

Since my last watch quit, I have found I don't really need one. The time is on the computer screen (that I have to look at all day at work), the time is on my cell phone; the time in on clocks on the wall, on my truck dashboard, etc. etc. We already have the time available in more places than we really need.

Farmgirl
 

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Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :
 
Amen, Farmgirl. I'm a cellphone and PDA carrier, have clock on the dashboard and computer, one by the bed, one on the VCR, Cable-Box, and TV. I stopped wearing a watch because of the redundancy issue, too.

Now if I could just get all of them to sync up with the Universal Atomic clock . . .
 

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Posted by Ralphie (Member # 1565) on :
 

quote:

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The non-watch-wearers are a parasitic sub-society

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quote:

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Um, Annie, the last time we had this discussion, weren't you on the other side of the fence?

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