Something strange is going on.

For a long time, I thought new digital clocks were just not made like they used to be. I had the same clock in my room since college. It was your typical digital clock; red numbers, snooze button, brown and black case. It sat there on my dresser for twenty-five years. A power surge was what killed it. It was kind of sad to have to throw it away, like losing an old friend.

I’ve bought several new ones over the years. Two were from the discount store. I clock is a clock, right? I just want to be able to look up when I wake in the night and know I don’t have to get up without having to push any buttons on my phone. I’d bring them home, unwrap them, plug them in, and set the time from the time on my phone, but within a few weeks the time was off. Ten minutes slow.

I didn’t notice it at first, only a couple minutes at a time went missing. I’d get out of the shower and think, “Cool. Ten more minutes. I have time for coffee before I go.” And then I’d walk out into the kitchen, see the clock on the stove and have to run out the door right away. It was frustrating. I hate to rush like that.

I’d set my bedroom clock back to the correct time and go about my business. Maybe the power went out for a minute when I wasn’t home. But then wouldn’t all the clocks be off? I decided it was bad clock and buy a new one.

But now I’m starting to wonder. Is it really a bad clock? Or is something else going on? Could it be that all the clocks are just generally inaccurate like that? The clock in the livingroom and the one on the stove don’t seem to have a problem keeping up.

I think I’ll have to do some experiments.