The Flog – The Fabry Log

A watch is a friend. On your arm. Ready to tell you the time. Ready to beep at you when you need a beep. For some people a watch is a status symbol. For others, it’s a fashion statement. To me, my Casio Databank is a tool I use, something I miss if it’s not there.

I found this picture on my daughter’s Facebook account. She snapped it as Andrea and I were walking in an undeveloped area, all paved and ready to go, but the builder ran out of money and abandoned the place. The kids ride their scooters and we walk on the paved circle and talk or don’t say anything. Here, I’m rubbing the back of Andrea’s neck, which she likes.

I discovered the Casio Databank through my friend, Wayne Shepherd. He had a silver one, but I preferred the black. It cost less. It boasted 150 contacts in its databank, but I never even put one in. I use it for the stopwatch (when I record timed spots), the alarm function (which awakens me easily without overdoing it), the calculator (I add up all the money we’ve lost), the light (at 4:30 I can tell what time it is and won’t awaken the whole room), the “world time” function that lets me know the time in Bangkok, and its sleek design.

If I were to wear a Rolex, my arm would look like a matchstick. But the Casio Databank doesn’t care that I’m not buff. It just rests there on my wrist like a friend.

I think I bought my first one back in the mid-1980s. I’ve owned about three since then, and the only reason I’ve bought a new one was when the battery install fritzed the display. Once, it happened in Walmart and they gave me a new watch. It felt like Christmas.

My watch is like that wedding band about five or six inches away. It’s always there, always working for me, always ticking—even if I don’t realize it. I’ve worn it so long it feels like a part of me. I’m not trying to impress anyone with it. It’s just part of who I am.

Maybe someday I will get a fancy watch that makes me look important. If so, I’ll probably put it in a drawer. My Casio Databank works for me. I don’t need a watch to make me feel anything. I need it to do what it’s supposed to do.