I was always so fascinated by this clock

by Howard
(Arkansas)

My mother inherited this old grandfather clock from my grandfather when I was eleven years old.

The old thing hadn’t worked since long before we got it

—the story goes that a relative tried to rewind it one day, and accidentally twisted the mechanism in the exact opposite direction, breaking it. It was quite the imposing piece—

It stood six feet tall, and the lacquered wood had turned black in some places with the dust that comes with objects of its age.

Embossed on the gold-plated faceplate of the clock was a picture of a small globe, surrounded by a scroll which read tempus fugit, “time flies” in Latin.

I was always so fascinated by this clock — I could only IMAGINE the things it had seen it its time, back when it could tell time. Being young, my brothers and I would romp through the house having fun, and on the odd occasion when one of us hit the ground a little harder than expected, we were always surprised by the solemn chime of the thing, as it seemed to let us know that it was keeping track of things still.

I have long since moved out of my parents’ house, but I still go back to visit when I get the chance. My fascination with this clock has shifted into something more than just childhood curiosity, though—I’ve seriously considered going to school to become a watchmaker and clock repairer just because of it.

I have taken so much interest, in fact, that for my twentieth birthday, my parents and older brother all chipped in to get me a grandfather clock of my own for my apartment: a Howard Miller Quartz Chiming wall clock 620F192 — the same brand as that old grandfather clock, but a different, third-floor apartment-friendly-sized wall edition.

This one is stained to make it look older, which appeals to my aesthetic senses, but it has not seen as much as that old one from my childhood
— not yet, at least.