The Comfort Of A Clock

I have a clock on the wall beside my desk – it is a battery operated dial clock, but still makes a ticking noise as it hits every second. Often when I am sitting here at night, when the house is quiet, this clock has the same effect as those I listened to over 60 years ago. Before we had electricity, coal oil lamps were our main source of light for the long winter nights. After the last meal of the day until we went to bed, the dim light from these lamps was what we used to do homework, read, play games, knit by, etc. The lamps gave off a warm glow, and along with the well stoked stove, helped to make you forget about the cold temperature outside and perhaps the snow storm that was going to make it difficult getting to school the next day. If everyone in the house was either reading or just sitting (also hypnotized by the clock), slowly the ticking would seem to get louder. Like a heartbeat, it added to the sense of safety we got from the lamp and stove. You noticed that I did not say a snow storm “would close” the schools, because that never happened, unless it was a full blown blizzard. Whether a country one room or the town multi room school – you were expected to get there.. I have just paused writing for a few minutes, letting the clock take me back to the coil oil lamp and stoked stove – and yes, its heartbeat is still here, keeping me safe.