10 o'clock

Jay-Z, quoting a wise man, said: even a broken clock is right at least two times a day. That's fine, that's fair – even clever. I'd like to give a special shout out to a time that on a working clock, digital or analog that it always seems to be: 10. I am not a fan of 10 o'clock, in fact seeing it stresses me more often that I'd like to say, but, nonetheless, here is my ode to this ever-present time.

 

10:00 AM

 

Working world

• Get up at 6, 7, 8 … get to the office at 7, 8, 9, or even 9:30 --- get coffee, chat with coworkers, and check email. No matter what time you get up, get in, have planned when you look at the clock, it will be 10 AM.

 

Grad school

• Snooze a few times, wake up, 10 AM
• Go to the gym, run, try to squeeze anything in before class or getting started for the day, 10 AM
• Have a nice quick morning chat with your mother, hang up, look at the clock, 10AM

10 PM

 

Working world

• Work a little late, make a quick dinner, 10PM
• Get off work a little early, make a decent dinner, 10PM
• Go to the gym, return home, shower, 10PM (please notice I didn't mention dinner)
• Get off whenever, happy hour, chat up coworkers, 10PM
• Stuck at the office, start to get antsy because you feel a little hungry, look at the clock, 10pm
• Get home, think you have the entire evening free, ease into being home, make a few Words With Friends moves, or play a quick game or watch a sitcom, or dose off for a moment, look at the clock, 10PM
• Talk to anyone, ANYONE, once you get home from work, 10PM

 

Grad school

• Have an evening seminar or club meeting, get home, 10PM
• Need to do some quick research before leaving the library, get home, 10PM
• Dinner or happy hour with classmates, the first time you think you should be heading home, if you aren't blacked out, and look at your watch, 10PM
• Nap after class, 10PM
• Have lots of reading, but think you'll start in a few minutes, 10PM

 

Saturday

• Make any substantial plans, have fun… do anything… think back… I bet you know exactly where you were at both 10AM and 10PM
   

Sunday

• The first time you start to feel a little stressed about the coming week, look at the clock, it will be 10PM

 

10 o'clock really doesn't deserve this much love, but perhaps by acknowledging its power and presence, I can know thy enemy.