I am a religious watch-wearer.

I like to know the time.  I don’t like to be late for things.  I don’t really like for other people to be late for things either, but when I’m late, it does funky things to my blood pressure and my palms start to sweat and I think my left eye might twitch a little.  It’s just the way I am.  I’m timely.

So, I’ve always worn a watch.  Even to bed.  I like to know what time it is if I wake up in the middle of the night.

I think I’ve worn a watch like this ever since my birthday, during my senior year of high school.  My grandma bought me a really nice one that had little diamond chips on it, and I wore it for years.

When that one went out of style, some time towards the end of my college years, I just bought a cheap $20 or so  model from the Wal-Mart jewelry department, and I wore it until the battery went dead.  Then I went and picked out a new one for another $20 or so, and I continued in this pattern until just a year or so ago.

My battery on my current watch died, so I went to Target and browsed the cheap watches.  Big D was with me, and he encouraged me to buy a nicer watch.  I explained my watch-buying habits to him.  He thought it was ridiculous.  “Just buy a nicer watch and then pay $5 to get the battery replaced,” he says.

I didn’t wanna.  I think I whined.  But then Big D found the above Timex watch.  It was on clearance.  It was still a good deal more than my usual $20, but I had some birthday money left over, so I bought the watch.

I wore it for a little over a year, and then the battery died.  I took it off and placed it on my dresser, and that’s where it has been for the past few months.  I cannot for the life of me remember to replace the battery.  And I also cannot justify buying a cheap watch since I own that one.

So I am now watchless.  For the first several days I felt positively naked, which was an unpleasant feeling, especially if I happened to be in the grocery store or at a baseball game or just driving down the street.  But I’ve now gotten over it.  I’m actually learning to use my cell phone…if I can find it…as a time piece.

Why am I sharing this?  I have absolutely no idea.  It’s just what’s on my mind today, I guess.  It was either this or the lyrics to “Every Rose Has a Thorn” because Bret Michaels has been on my mind a lot too, and that hasn’t happened since about 1987. 

Maybe someday, I just might remember to get a new battery for my watch.

But probably not.