“Grandma, is it time to do the clock?” The question came from our six-year-old grandson who was trying to negotiate just a few more minutes before bedtime. Like our children, our grandchildren don’t always know they are tired. Parents are needed to help them stay healthy by setting reasonable mealtimes and bedtimes. In this case, however, our grandson knew he had hit upon one thing that would delay bedtime, if by only a few minutes.

In our study, in the middle of a wall of bookshelves, is a Seth Thomas mantle clock. It is powered by weights that descend, causing the mechanism to turn. The clock needs to be wound each day. There are two weights, one for the clock, the other for the chime. When we are in our routine, we wind the clock as one of the last tasks before heading upstairs to brush our teeth and get ready for bed. When our grandchildren stay at our house, we modify the routine slightly so that they are included in the ritual. Along with getting to wind the clock with close supervision, they hear the story about its coming to our family over and over again.

According to the man who cleans and adjusts our clocks, the Seth Thomas parlor clock has been called by some the thrashing machine of clocks. It doesn’t require special tools to adjust and repair. The mechanism's operation is evident to an observer, and most people can identify what is wrong when something is not working. The clocks have withstood numerous adjustments by individuals who are not trained in clock repair. Generally, a repair consists of replacing a piece of string or bending a soft piece of metal.

This particular clock was purchased used at a farm sale by my wife’s grandmother’s father. He brought it home under his arm while riding his horse. Our family has had the clock in our house for five generations. The paint on the clock's face is worn, but the cabinet is in good condition and the mechanism functions well. It doesn’t have a second hand, and it is not capable of being adjusted to second-by-second accuracy. But it chimes within a minute of the hour. It isn’t the only mechanical chiming clock in our house, and we rarely have them ringing at the same time. When we do get them synced perfectly, one will vary slightly, and they will get off a bit. Recently, I was counting the chimes without thinking about it, as the first clock and then another began to chime 11 times. Because the chiming was overlapping, I realized that I had counted 14 chimes. You have to be paying close enough attention to distinguish which clock is chiming to know the time.

I wear a digital smartwatch that can connect to wifi and to the cell phone network. It displays the exact time with accuracy. I could have it display the time in numerals, but I prefer a watch face that resembles a traditional clock with hands that rotate to indicate the time. The reason for this preference is the same reason I enjoy having chiming clocks in our house. Most of the time I don’t need to know precisely what time it is. I only need to know about what time it is.
Furthermore, my mind will play tricks on me. If I look at the digital clock on the stove and it says, 10:58, I will think to myself, “Good, it isn’t 11 yet.” If I look at a clock with a face at the same time, I’m more likely to think, “It is nearly 11.” Knowing the exact time has the result of occasionally making me late for an appointment. It is irrational and counterintuitive, but I have grown accustomed to how my mind works well enough to arrive on time for important meetings.

The clock-winding ritual at our house serves a significant purpose. We want our grandchildren to fall in love with our old clocks. We want to pass them down to a future generation. We don’t want to be the last generation of our family to treasure these mechanical devices that were designed and engineered to last longer than the span of a human life. And even if the clocks are sold or given away outside of the family, we want our grandchildren to know their stories. We are not wealthy people. The inheritance we have to pass on to our children and grandchildren has little to do with money. Their inheritance is a wealth of family traditions, ceremonies, and stories.

Much of our culture is designed for throwaway. Many of the objects in our homes are designed to be used and then discarded. Other items will last much longer than the use to which we put them. For example, a piece of furniture can be reupholstered. We have had it done to a few precious pieces we inherited from other family members. In most cases, however, having furniture reupholstered costs more than replacing it with a new piece.

This week the electric mixer in our kitchen suffered a burned out motor. The mixer was bought new by my father as a gift to my mother about 55 years ago. She used it heavily as do we. I replied the transmission in the machine a few years ago. I checked online and I can purchase a replacement motor for it. However the cost of the motor alone is slightly more than 3/4 of the cost of a whole new machine. If I were to pay to have it repaired, the cost would exceed the price of a replacement machine. Since we have a hand mixer and a house full of family to help with any task, we won't be deciding on the mixer this week. We can defer that decision to another day. I suspect, however, that we may end up replacing the machine, which would then present the problem of how to recycle the components of the old one.

It may not make financial sense, but I have a different attachment to the antique clocks than I do to many other items in our home. I will keep them repaired for as long as I am able. After all, the oldest is “the thrashing machine of clocks.” I hope one of our grandchildren will learn to love and treasure it as much as I do.