Do you have a quirky compulsion? Mine is clocks that keep precise time.
I live half a block from the campus of a major Insurance Corporation.
I never fretted much about either of these factoids until this past year. They came together like a pebble in my shoe.
The Corporation began building a ‘destination’ Plaza. Luxury condos surrounding a high end mall of boutiques and entertainment venues. Somehow the giant cranes that erect this oasis in the city manage with great regularity to knock out the power grid to the immediate neighborhood.
Thankfully, the Public Power District is ‘Johnny on the spot’. I rarely go without power more than two hours. My computers and cable box automatically adjust to the precise minute when the power comes back. But my other clocks drive me crazy.
I finally gave up resetting them. My kitchen clock runs two hours and thirty-three minutes slow. My bedside clock runs one hour and seventeen minutes slow. The clock on my coffeemaker keeps correct Mars time for all I know. That’s this week. But I figure at my age it’s probably good brain exercise to calculate the differential to real time each time I refer to them.
More serious was the fact the Corporation blocked off my main north/south street and eliminated their employee parking lot to make room for this development. I now have to drive six blocks west to go south to my grocery stores. Their employees now park on neighborhood streets often blocking my driveway during business hours.
I called my city councilman with my concerns. He thanked me for bringing this issue to his attention. Then he reminded me that the Corporation also has a voice in neighborhood affairs. He pointed out that this development will increase the value of my condo. The city gains needed revenue from property taxes. Everybody wins!
By the time I hung up, I realized my real problem was “Arrogance of the Accustomed”. Driving an extra mile for my groceries will not bankrupt me. I can shop during rush hour. I don’t need to do so in the quiet hours of midday.
It was suggested a dose of patriotism would cure this disease. Then I could rejoice not complain at living in this greatest of all nations that guarantees the same free speech to all its citizens!
