Welcome! Did you remember to change your clock back Sunday? My smartphone does this automatically, and the only clocks in my house are on my microwave and stove. Some of the digital lines have dimmed, so it’s hard to even tell what time it is by my stove’s clock. Besides, with all the schedule changes imposed by schools and churches, time seems to matter less these days.
I read an interesting novel once, “Though Waters Roar,” by Lynn Austin. It’s a pretty sad book, but, as are all her novels, very well written and entertaining. I remember one scene vividly, even though I read the book more than ten years ago.
The main character grew up on a farm in the 1850s and ‘60s. When her brothers enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War, she had to help her dad run their farm. Her schedule revolved around daylight, animals’ needs, crop life cycles, and the seasons. I seem to remember they didn’t even have a clock, or if they did, they only checked it on Sundays so they’d make it to church on time. Bells were timepieces of sorts back then, too. Church bells often rang on the hour.
She married a businessman whom she discovered was an alcoholic. Suddenly she was thrust into city life and running a business. She realized milking schedules didn’t matter. Planting and harvesting were irrelevant. Business meetings and running the factory ruled her life. She had to buy a watch. I remember thinking, “Wow. I can’t imagine life without a clock.”
Why am I telling you this? Because I think our world is shifting away from clocks and back toward seasons and daylight as timepieces.
My kids opted for online schooling through Jamestown High School. They were given the choice to do a hybrid schedule or continue online, as of November 2. Both opted for online. My son sleeps in, then starts his homework in the late morning. He works until around 3 or 4 p.m., and often resumes working late at night if he wants to take the next day off. He’ll log in and do a little work, even if he’s working ahead, every day, but he loves the freedom. He’s able to modify his go-kart (an ongoing project) during the day and is available to help me out with yard work and such.
My daughter organizes her days so that she’s done with school work by early afternoon, and she can work in the evenings. She’s saving for a car. It’s challenging for her to teach herself certain subjects, but she’s doing well overall.
So, there’s no need to wake up at 6:30 a.m., no hustling to catch the bus, and neither kid opted to play sports this year. I’ve worked from home, either as a stay-at-home mom or writer, for 17 years. Clocks are less important to me than others. And now they’re less important to my kids, as well.
I’ve seen a lot of families transition from parents working on job sites to working at home. Many have benefited from the change. It’s interesting; it’s almost as if we’re going back to the home-based economy, even if farms aren’t at the center.
Not everything that’s changed because of this year’s events has been negative. And if we’re controlled less by clocks, I count that a blessing.
Atlantic Community Church is hosting several events that might interest you. They are showing the movie, “Jonah,” at 7 p.m. on November 6, 2020.
They are planning a Thanksgiving service at 7 p.m. on November 22, 2020. They will have the Hanging of the Greens at 10 a.m. on November 28, 2020, and Naomi Hosek, a missionary serving in Turkey from The Evangelical Alliance Mission, will speak during worship service on November 29, 2020.
Have a wonderful week! Blessings!