It’s National Watch Day. I’ve always been a punctual person. I believe being on time is showing respect to yourself and others when you arrive at a destination, job, party, or whatever in a timely manner. I also feel people that are constantly late have a control problem. They don’t control themselves, thus they do control the others that are waiting for them. Rude!

As a teenager, I can remember going out in the back yard with my girlfriends during the summer sunshine, beach towels, cokes, and a transistor radio in tow. We would take our watches off so as to not get a white wrist band from them while we soaked in the sun. We would check them every so often to make sure we turned over so we didn’t get too much sun all at once on just one side. The watch was always placed under one corner of the towel. I don’t remember our reasoning that it had to be covered.

When cell phones became the in thing, I gave up my watch because I could always “pull out my phone.” Everyone was doing it. I have recently realized that action can be conceived as rude. Yesterday during a talk at a museum, both my husband and step-son pulled out their phones and started looking up baseball and golf scores. I thought it very disrespectful to the speaker, but have to admit, if mine had vibrated, I would have pulled it out too. Our phone addictions might not be so bad if they helped us be on time.

Watches are coming back in style, and can be chosen to show off your own personality. Of course doctors and nurses have always worn them. I know a few people that have recently gotten new watches, because let’s face it, pulling that phone out is not always convenient (especially when driving) and sometimes just plain rude. I think I need to get myself a new watch to wear, especially when in public.