1000 Flowers for the Planet - #455 Use a Wind-Up Clock

1000 Flowers for the Planet - #455 Use a Wind-Up Clock

It may sound awfully old-fashioned, but returning to the old ways can help save the planet from resource depletion. Using a wind-up clock means you won’t be using any fossil fuels converted to electricity, nor will you be using batteries, which as explained in Flower #403 (Recycle Batteries) use many resources and create toxic waste. Wind-up clocks are completely inoffensive, create a nice ritual at the time of winding which can be quite calming and meditative, and still tell you the time! I recall as a child being part of the ritual of winding up my great-uncle’s grandfather clock, which stood opposite the front door in pride of place. The great heavy weights hanging from sturdy chain would be carefully pulled by Uncle Harry until they were all lined up at the top of the case, ready to spend the next week gradually working their way towards the floor again. There was a ritual at my grandparents’ home too, when my grandfather took a large key from a drawer to wind up the mantle clock, which sat on the hall table. There were three holes to wind with that key: the time, the chime and the bong. Yes, it made musical chimes every quarter hour  - clocks of yore could tell you what time it was without you even having to be in the same room. You don’t get that from digital. Wind-up clocks come in all shapes and sizes, and they also come with alarms to wake you in the morning, just as well as any digital piece can do. Give them a try, and save resources.