I should have titled it alarrum clock. That invokes the right image in my mind of a relentless ring from a bedside beauty that would always ring at the right time, and ring with such character, and also respond to my little tap to acknowledge it as I reluctantly woke up. Or should I say 'her' given the dutiful, beautiful, personality of the alarm clock.
The alarm clock is something that epitomises man's achievement in the modern world. If I were to list just three things, they would be clocks, bicycles and trains. They show how Newtonian creatures did come to life in our midst, and make our lives more meaningful, and add to the colour and texture of life.
These were not overpowering. They were not going to drive our lives. We would work with them, much like we did with horses and cows and knives and scissors, to accomplish true 'living'.
But how the alarm clock has changed! You cannot buy a wind-up mechanical beauty any more, except some cheap Chinese look-alikes or old antiques. Gone are the days of majestic, ornate, time-pieces with character.
Even the quartz portable clocks are vanishing. Who would buy them, given the million apps on the phone to remind you, awaken you, and speak the time in different accents!?
But have you noticed? I am talking of alarm clocks that rang and had no snooze button. That meant they had a form and a function, and did what was expected. The same with match sticks and hurricane lamps. Today, nobody makes a fire except with a fancy lighter for some barbecue or a diya festival. You can even buy flickering plug-in plasticky 'brass' lamps!
Once there is a snooze button, I feel the character is lost. You don't have that pristine contract of the predictable Newtonian world. Then everything becomes 'maybe'. Just like people perhaps drove more carefully when they did not have airbags.
And if the alarm is coming from my mobile phone, damn it. It does not even ring with any 'truth' in it!
I also find the multifunction calendar+thermometer+clock+radio an extension of one's wishfulness and a mere show-off. It is quite handy as an office gift, but perhaps totally useless, since you can never get around to buy replacements for those tiny batteries later on.
Oh for the world of true alarm clocks!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
