My watch stopped on Monday. I couldn't help but think it was a sign of something other than I needed a new watch battery, since it happens so infrequently. The end of an era?

It is weird for me not to wear a watch. Normally it's a constant habit to check the time. But there is a freedom associated with not having that weight on your wrist. This week was a pleasant reminder of the summer of last year, when I'd sometimes go days without wearing my watch. I'd forget to put it on. Hours and days blended into one another seamlessly. The exact time became irrelevant.

Did you know that you can buy a watch battery at Wal-Mart for $4, and employees will give you a tool to open the watch and give you instructions but won't actually install the battery themselves? I assume it's a liability issue. I didn't want to risk breaking my Guess watch so I took it to a store in the mall yesterday and spent $10 to have the sales guy replace it.

The steady tick was restored, just as I had gotten used to not checking the time every 15 minutes or so. After five days the cuff on my left wrist seems kind of foreign now. But it will remain since it is NOT the summer of last year, the hours and days do not blend into one another so easily, and time is money and therefore VERY relevant.