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Wednesday, January 27, 2016

"Clockwork " by Eloy G



         A few months ago I purchased a watch I fancied from a department store. It was a sudden decision, with no previous thought.
         As soon as I saw it on display, I thought I should own it as I would never find an analog like this one. It had a silver bezel with a blue and red band. About 40 dollars later, at night, as I was preparing for bed, I placed it on my desk and decided I would wear it the next day. My mother came into my room and asked if I had applied to any colleges yet. What was my major going to be? What are your going to do with your life? How have you been coping with senior year? Why don't you want to talk? Is that a new watch?
         Eventually, she walked out. I have the custom of opening my window before I go to sleep so that the light floods in in the morning and I'm not accidentally late to school, so I did that.
         Finally, my head hit the pillow. Of course, I began to ponder my life while laying there and examined the events of my day. I replayed the conversations I'd had and decided I should be kinder to that guy who I talked to in one of my classes. Also, what is the meaning of life? Do I have purpose? Where is Qatar? What is time? Speaking of time...
          When I would lay very still at night, I could hear that watch ticking.

I suddenly became very conscious of the passing of time. The ticking was relentless and I was waiting more and more time to make something of my life. With every tick, I was a second closer to dying, and not having made something of myself. Almost every day that I go to school I hear that if I don't go to college then I'm nothing, and that if I don't make money I'm worth even less. And it suddenly dawned on me that I was an idiot.
         I had no idea how to be an adult. I am completely clueless in what I'm doing and everyday I get up and go to school and pretend I know what I'm doing. I talk to kids that have their life planned out down to the last detail and I speak to them as if I'm the same. My own father had informed that my musical abilities were useless, and that I need to look into getting a real job. But how? I don't know how to do anything else well. I suck at everything. I am an idiot. And death inspires me like a dog inspires a rabbit.
         Yet, the ticking grew louder. It echoed in my empty head and eventually grew to be ruckus. I was surprised that no one else had woken up with such a noise. I sat up and stared at the demonic watch. I reached for it, stumbled over to my window and hurled as far as I could into the empty lot behind my house.
         The ticking grew louder.
It filled the house and I realised that I needed to make something of my life soon, or else I'd lose my mind. I turned my desk light on and made a list of all the things that I still needed to achieve.
         Be more organised. Don't procrastinate. Be kinder. Buy nicer clothes. Turn in that missing assignment. Turn in all the missing assignments. Do every piece of homework. Graduate with honours. Get recommendation letters. Get a scholarship. Apply to college. Get accepted. Go to college. Pay for it. Get a car. Get a job. Find a blind girl to marry me so she can't see how much of an idiot I am. Have kids. Teach them to be good people. Give them manners. Teach them how to a ride a bike. How to tie their shoes. How to use the toilet. How to get good grades. How to get into college. How to make something of themselves. How to make good decisions. Help them move out. Get over the sadness. Retire. Go on vacation. Somehow stay married for dozens of years to the same blind girl. Die.
         Sweat had clouded my eyes by now and had made the paper crinkly. I did every missing assignment and every piece of homework and began to apply for college. I wrote myself a sticky note that said to be kinder to that guy. I reorganised my backpack. I cleaned my closet and my room and began to look for job on the Internet.
         Then I caught sight of my window. It was day.
         A blue bird landed on my window sill with the snow topped mountains in its background. Light flooded into my room and bathed my squinty red swollen face. Trees gently swayed in the breeze. The birds sung. The flowers harmonised.
         The birds do not sow seed or reap or gather into storehouses, yet they are fed. I saw the lilies of the field, how they grow; they do not toil, nor do they spin. They do not grow anxious over what to wear. Yet I've seen no one dress as beautifully as they do. Why do I become anxious? How much more time can I add to my life by becoming anxious?
         The ticking was gone.
Gratitude filled the house instead.
         Now everyday I get up and the light floods my room and I go to school and people treat me kindly and respectfully. I have many friends I am grateful for, and that's not something that everyone has. I have a style of life that not every one has, so instead of lamenting over what I'm not, it's time I take a lesson from the birds and the flowers. It's time I slow down and appreciate that every second of the clock I am in the position I am. Everyday comes with its own problems and joys. Why burden myself with more?

That morning, I scaled the empty lot's fence and pulled my watch from the dirt and the weeds.
And at night, if I lie very still, I can hear it ticking. And time ticks me to sleep.


30 comments:

  1. Wow, the amount of detail you put into this piece is astonishing! Fantastic job on detail! I absolutely love the message within your piece! Appreciate life. Appreciate what we do have and do not focus on what we don't have. You did a marvelous job on your piece! Well done!
    - Deborah Fraire
    Period 1

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  2. WOW.... that was amazing! I truly enjoyed reading this piece. The emotion that you poured into every word was so evident and the effortlessness with which you write is one of a kind. I can totally relate to the overwhelmed feeling that you described and it was nice to know that there are others out there that struggle with the same things! I also loved how you took the ticking of the watch and changed it from a negative into a positive. Thanks for writing such an awesome piece! Good luck with college and with finding that blind girl!

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  3. nice story with a great amount of detail that was poured into it. I think everyone feels this way but never does anything about it. I like how you finished to show the benefits of handling your priorities.

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  4. I really like that you noted how useless it is to fret over small things and things that are far away but also how easy it can be to let it consume you. Well done

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  5. This was really amazing! I really enjoyed the amount of emotion and detail that was put into your story. Also, I believe a lot of people can relate to the pressure of dealing with academic events so it was nice that you specifically explained and expressed the burden of having that on a student's shoulders. Overall, this was a very well written and very relatable piece.

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  6. Eloy you are amazing thanks for this great piece as all of these issues you discussed are so relevant in my life as well as probably every other high school senior at the moment. I loved the little connections and how you related it all to the simplicity of nature at the end. That's how life should be lived: for the moment. Amazing writing!
    -Taylor Sandoval p.5

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  7. Eloy this was very impressive and I truly enjoyed reading this and at the same time I could relate to this. Time is something we will never be able to control which I'm glad you brought up because even I feel like none of us are really ready to grow up in all honesty.
    This would be something I would have loved to create a short film on. Bravo!
    -Alexa Ayala
    Period 2

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  8. I really enjoyed the use of detail and imagery, allowing me to envision this scene vividly. As senior year continues and gets closer to its end, I feel the exact same way regarding the pressures of having to plan out my own future and the stress of it all. The use of the watch to first show your struggles and then convert it into something that helps you was also very interesting. Great job!

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  9. This was very well put together. From you descriptive language to the use of the watch to show struggle and coming closer to the end. Very well done

    Braden BAiley
    -per 4

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  10. I loved reading this as I believe many of us today can directly relate to this. I also enjoyed the little bits of comedic elements that you mixed in with the daunting reality of life to create a story that no one else but yourself could create. Great job Eloy. :D Pd. 2

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  11. Eloy this was a very impressive piece and I enjoyed reading and relating to this piece. As for us seniors adult hood is right around the corner, and honestly it scares because I am not ready. Yet as time goes on I will understand "how to adult." GREAT JOB!!!

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  12. Wow, the amount of detail you put into this piece is outstanding. Now and then I'm sure we all do wonder about what the future may bring because of all the constant questions we are bombarded with everyday. This story was super well written and I enjoyed reading this Eloy!
    -Antonio Barron P: 3

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  13. This story was honestly marvelous. The way you were so into detail got me wrapped up in the story. Well done!

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  14. This is a very interesting submission you highlighted various ideas about human personalities and how some things can be good and bad for us if we let them be. This submission is very insightful!
    -Per 4

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  15. Eloy! I loved this piece, it has a very distinct style, which allows your emotions conveyed here to resonate with the audience really well. Particularly, your syntax stands out in a manner which reflects the speaker's thought process, with pert, consecutive sentences. I do not believe that this speaker is nearly as idiotic as he feels he is. In fact, I believe that these thoughts and fears go through the minds of many in life, including myself, besides the fact that I do indeed know where Qatar is. Overall, I think this was a wonderful read and you have a lot of talent!

    Danelle Angeline Baronia
    Period 2

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  16. Eloy this was a beautiful piece. The syntax and imagery in your writing is absolutely captivating. Given all the how to’s I thought you were going to teach me how to make a clock haha. But honestly, this was one of my favorite pieces to read. Your sentences flowed like the tick of a clock and it was a pleasure to read. Keep up the great work! I fancy your writing!

    Joseph Jacinto
    Period 5

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  17. Eloy, I really enjoyed the story and the use of humor that you put into it. I think we can all relate to many aspects of this story. Like how we have not figured out a plan for our life or even how little anxieties can consume us. Overall beautiful message conveyed through the essence of time and nature to show appreciation.

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  18. Eloy this was so good! And trust me, you wouldn't need to find a blind girl to marry you!!

    This entire piece was so powerful in the sense that the imagery and details you used really immersed your readers into the setting. While reading this I started to have my own miniature existential crisis because of how accurately, I think, you voiced most of everyone's fears.
    I loved that you were able to transform that anxiety to a peaceful acceptance and I'm sure that I speak for others as well that we all get caught up in trying to emulate this calculated idea of what it means to have a purposeful life and fail to appreciate the experiences happening to us now.

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  19. Brilliant view on the concept of time. It's very thoughtful, yet somehow through the writing I feel the anxiety of the protagonist. The character is very relatable and I feel like for anyone who reads this they can make a connection to them.

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  20. This was a very good piece. I really liked the detail and imagery you added, I felt like I could hear the watch ticking too! Really nice job, keep up the good work!

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  21. Be you Eloy. I'm sure many of us can relate to your struggles; nagging parents, life choices, college (definitely). You put quite a lot of detail into your work and really kept me immersed in your paper. Good job Eloy.

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  22. l-/ I see the lyrics you put in there. Knowing the song that one section of lyrics come from, no doubt you're a deep thinker, a large thinker, a small one, and every type recognized by our own minds. the detail laid through out is an excellent showcase, and the watch provided a beautiful medium to show what types of thoughts, questions, answers and paths that could assault people's minds, and the progress people can make from the scary deep thoughts that they're too afraid to ponder.

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  23. At the very beginning, I was unsure exactly where this piece was going just from you simply buying a clock, yet I truly adored how you tied it all together in the very end. As seniors, sometimes our perception of time running out and that we must make clear decisions plagues us as you explicitly illustrated, especially in the late hours of the night. However, you chose look at our remaining time in a positive perspective, which is even more clearly demonstrated through the initial prevailing emotions of distress. Great work Eloy ^^

    -Amber Tacderan, Period 2

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  24. The part that says, "the ticking grew louder. It filled the house and I realized that I needed to make something of my life soon, or else I'd lose my mind" brought me back to first semester. I wasn't ready for anything I got done. Nothing I did was on my own time and done peacefully. I rushed through first semester tackling everything because I felt like if i didn't, I was going to mess up something greater. There was a day a couple months where I woke up early and spent the morning the way I wanted to and then drove to school. I was really happy and started crying while driving to school because the sky seemed so clear and the sun was out and the mountains are beautiful I'm surrounded by all this everyday and I get upset when I don't have time to just sit outside and appreciate everything because thats when Im most at peace so I relate to the second part of your writing as well. Life can be overwhelming but it is important to be grounded like the lesson you are trying to teach.
    Jeannette Martinez
    Period 2

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  25. What a beautiful piece Eloy, just like you ;). This concept of time is definitely something that I have thought about a lot, especially recently, and your illustration of the thought helps to clearly explain what I, along with others, are probably thinking. I enjoyed how you made what most of us see as a scary topic seem less intimidating by including some comic relief. Overall you did a great job writing and expressing your emotions. Amazing job Eloy.

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  26. Right from the very first line something that I appreciate is how present your personal voice is in this piece. Your work sounds just like you and it shows that you have a clear grasp on who you are as a writer. I most definitely have experienced this same agony in relation to what my future will hold and how I will achieve all that is expected of me. I think that your connection between the birds/flowers and ourselves was beautifully done as was the entire piece. The message was great and I'm glad to know you feel somewhat resolved in your anxiety about life's great big journey. Also, I assure you that your wife will not need to be blind to recognize your many wonderful qualities. Keep up the good work.
    p.s. I remember that watch from lunch and it's rather nice.
    -Kayla Salas, period 5

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  27. Your piece to me represents escapism of reality, loss of confidence, pessimism and the preoccupation of time-- qualities the reflect baroquely characteristic. Your emphasis in the loss of time which is stoic and soon to pass intensifies the string of thought of the speaker, bringing tension to the reader. ヽ(*≧ω≦)ノ Good job Eloy!

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  28. Tick tock Tick tock, the clock of a human-made illusion now goes. Time is an illusion, and so is death, all feared yet respected parts of the society we live in. The contrasting images of a world where life impends on happiness compared to a world free of time and full of surprie enlighten the human spirit to escape the very reality in which we have thrust ourselves into. A timely piece this is.

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  29. Eloy you are an awesome person with an amazing mind. I really loved reading this piece. The emotion that you poured into This piece was amazing it gave a better understanding of the story. I also loved how you took the ticking of the watch and changed it from a negative into a positive feeling I would say. Loved this piece good job like always.

    Jorge Rodriguez
    Period 5

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  30. Eloy this piece is nothing short of phenomenal. The way you intricately describe the functions of a watch and relate it to your personal thoughts and emotions truly shows what type of person you are. The transformation of turning negatives into positives and always trying to see the light in the darkest of places is inspirational. I really enjoyed this piece amazing job.
    Period 5
    Hunter Fierro

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