Most people see their names in lights from time to time. Kids run to souvenier shops looking for bracelets, mini-license plates and mugs made just for them. Some have the same names as presidents, serial killers and movie stars and they find their names in magazines and on the 6 o'clock news. The only time I ever came close was when the bachelorette on the reality tv show, The Bachelorette, was named Tenley. I lived in Paris at the time and the bachelorette was engaged and married (and maybe divorced) before I got home. Fortunately my name didn't catch on and as far as I know, it was never stamped on a water bottle or pencil.
The truth is I do see my name around town, but I think I'm the only one that notices. The standard time to display the hands on an unwound (or battery-less) clock is 10:10. I've read that it's the most pleasing position for one's eyes. I'm sure some marketing genius thought of it. 9:25 isn't as welcoming and 2:05 draws your attention to only one place. 10:10 gives you more options. Your eyes go from left to right and the spaces above and below the hands are wide open for a full view of the clock's face.
Unfortunately, the marketing genius had already died before the Casio watch was invented. When someone read the manual on what time to set a non-working digital clock for publicity purposes they followed suit with the 10:10 meant for clocks with hands.
When I opened my new running watch on Christmas morning the first thing I saw was two big tens; one green and the other white. I thought the box had been hand-decorated just for me. I'm not the only one who likes to play with markers. Then I saw that the numbers were printed on the box and I assumed it was the Garmin's model number. It wasn't until the next day that I realized it was a photo of the watch set at 10:10.
When I see 10:10 my first thought is not the time. I don't read it as ten after ten. It looks more like a good score on a test, part of a math equation or the time it takes an average runner to run a mile.
In any case, I was happy to discover that in the digital world I haven't been forgotten. I don't share my name with a Biblical figure, but now that I've brought things to light, maybe you'll start thinking of me when your clock strikes 10:10. If I'm lucky you'll think of me twice a day. Now that's what I call a real marketing genius.
Sunday, December 29, 2024
It's 10:10
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