During this COVID-19 social isolation, we are all keeping busy to try and halt the spread of this virus. It’s important for everyone that we pay attention to health officials and stay inside and practice social distancing. This has been very difficult for everyone as the kids are out of school doing work via video, and Lovely English Lass working from home as well. I on occasion have to go into the office but I also need to make sure I limit my exposure.
With Lovely Little Girl, these changes are very difficult. Being on the spectrum, she likes her order and routine. She’s being a champ right now but there are some bad times where she is obviously overwhelmed. I completely understand that. Although I’m not on the spectrum, I’m trying to keep a somewhat routine myself. I workout when I can during lunch when I’m at work, I still get up at 430 every morning for time alone to drink coffee and read the news while making LEL some tea. But I also make sure I keep wearing a watch.
Now if you know me, you’ll know I collect watches. Usually small batch watches, but a few Citizen watches and a Tissot. So I move through all my watches during the week and on the weekend I wear a Helgray diver watch on a NATO strap. Even though the weekend isn’t that important with social isolation, I am a creature of habit. It helps me keep track of time and keeps me centered.
I can appreciate the so called smart watches, really. I mean they look cool and are the closest thing to Dick Tracy that I've ever seen. You can make calls on some of them, they can track exercise, pulse and even help you relax. I do have a Fitbit to help with my health and make sure I am walking and getting around enough during the day. However, I am and will always be a man that loves a good old fashioned wristwatch.
You see, watches are small works of art in my opinion. They are crafted, not made. Even the ones that are mass produced still have enough small things going inside them to make you sit back in awe of you thought of it all working together. A good watch, and I'm talking Cartier or Patek Philippe, is so intricately put together with precision that it beggars belief that someone could have the skill and finesse to pull it off. The beauty of the watch on the outside is matched only be the work done on the inside. A simple mechanical watch contains about 130 parts. A more complicated one can run into the several hundreds. If one of those parts isn't working properly, or is installed insufficiently, then it doesn't work at all. Only when they are working together, doing what they need to do, can the watch perform the way it should.
Yes, this is a metaphor (a rather tortured one I know) for society right now. With this COVID-19 virus, we need to work together. Only when we all try to stop the spread of this thing can we get society back and working again. If we don't work together, the whole thing falls apart. So please stay inside, wash your hands and try to reduce your exposure.
Now, if you'll excuse me I have some watch photos to look at during a break in working at home. My Holy Grail watch, The Tag Heuer Monaco Gulf, needs to be looked at again for the 1,000 time since this whole thing started.
