There Was A Time When Kids Could Tell Time

(I’m working in a coffee shop with a new starter who is in her late teens. This shop has a giant clock mounted to the wall behind the counter. It’s more for aesthetic, but it also means very few of us bother with watches.)

Me: “Okay, [Starter], your break is at three pm.”

Starter: *blank stare*

Me: “Is that all right?”

Starter: “When will I know?”

Me: “That’s about four hours from now.”

Starter: “…but how do I know? I’m not allowed to have my phone.”

Me: “There’s a clock behind you.”

Starter: *staring wildly at the wall, and directly at the clock* “Where?”

Me: “The giant circle.”

Starter: “That’s a CLOCK? It’s just see lines! How can you understand that?”

Me: “It’s an analogue clock. The long… line represents minutes while the short line represents hours. They rotate around the middle as time goes by.”

Starter: *staring at me like I’m from another world* “Who came up with that? Why not just have what’s on my iPhone?”

Me: “That’s digital. I guess the owner wanted an analogue because it looks fancier.”

Starter: “But, the numbers. Where are the numbers?”

Me: “There. They have roman numerals.”

Starter: “Oh, like gypsies?”

(What on earth are we teaching kids these days?)