The Clock Conundrum

It all began with a noble intention; to sleep. Not a grand ambition, mind you, but one that I held dear, especially at 5 in the morning when my maid would arrive like a punctual ghost silent, swift, and entirely too early.

The agreement had been 6 AM!!!   A civilized hour. But she came at five, sometimes earlier, as if she were racing with the sun. My Wife’s friendly visit to her home revealed the mystery. They don’t have a clock. Not even a wristwatch. Time, to her, was a vague concept, like government efficiency or diet plans.

Being corporate trained individual, I launched “Operation Sleep Restoration.” Countless thoughts and strategies were drawn. And finally, a simple and super solution, a shiny alarm clock with a snooze function was gifted, ceremoniously, like a peace treaty between nations.

For a brief, glorious week, she arrived at 6 AM. The birds sang. The coffee brewed. Life was good.The maid arrived at 6 AM sharp, and the household ran like a well-oiled machine. But soon, things took a turn. She began arriving late, sometimes by 15 minutes, sometimes by an hour. Her timing became erratic, throwing off the morning routine and adding chaos to our already hectic schedules.

When gently nudged about her timings, she let out a dramatic sigh and confessed, “I just can’t manage time anymore.” And then it hit me “THE ClOCK”! That innocent-looking timepiece had betrayed her. Instead of organizing her life, it turned into her personal sleep coach. It whispered sweet nothings like “You’ve got plenty of time” and “Five more minutes won’t hurt.”

Now she’s convinced she’s living in a time-rich fantasy land. The clock didn’t bring clarity it brought chaos, naps, and a false sense of eternal mornings. Basically, her alarm clock became her enabler. Now we are in a new dilemma: how to restore order without offending or overwhelming her. Instead of saving sleep, my wife and I are sprinting through mornings like caffeinated squirrels, trying to make it to work on time.

It was a lesson in empathy, communication, and the unpredictable outcomes of well-intentioned solutions. The clock had solved one problem but created another reminding them that sometimes, time isn’t just about minutes and hours but understanding the rhythm of someone else’s life...