A $10,000 watch tells time, so does a $10 watch. Its purpose is to tell time. So long as they are accurate, they serve the same purpose, right?
For some men, a watch is much more than that. It’s a timepiece that reference history, witness milestones, celebrate victories, survive hardships, and brings intangible sense of esteem. It’s an accessory that completes their outfit.
When I was 13, my father got me a watch. It’s a special Citizen watch. I say it’s special because it’s not the conventional kind of watch a growing teen would wear. It’s an all-black stainless steel watch that looked out of place on the wrist of a not-boy-not-yet-man. For some reason, I’ve came to like it. I didn’t buy it because I like it though, I urged my dad to buy because it didn’t look like any run of the mill watches – like the colourful arrays of Swatch that lined the shop window.
I adore its sophisticated way of telling time. I wish I still have this first proper watch with me. Foolishly, I discarded this timepiece a few years back when I was moving away from my previous home. Gone with it are the memories of my school days – the goods and bads. Writing about this jolts back memories of my friends – almost all of them I don’t keep in touch with anymore. We were indispensable during that period. But as we grow, we drifted apart. As we are all occupied with our career, family and hobbies, friendships take a backseat.
I read that in our 50s, we get a second wind in our relationship with friends. That’s the age where our children grow up and no longer need us that much – financially and physically. Hopefully I don’t have to wait that long to rekindle with some old buddies.