I rarely purchase jewelry for myself. Most of the jewelry I wear belonged to my Grandmother Castle (on my mom’s side) or my Great-Grandmother Meeks and were passed down to my mother who has given me several priceless antiques.
However, this huge, clunky, tarnished silver pocket watch that doesn’t tell time stands apart from the rest of my jewelry. Instead of being handed down from relatives, this pocket watch belongs to my father. Interestingly enough, he didn’t purchase this for himself either (he’s not what you would call an “accessory kind of guy”); it was a gift from his parents when he graduated from law school.
Why does this object represent conflict, you may ask. Like many people, my father has a complicated relationship with his parents. During World War II, my grandpa enlisted in the navy. Once my father graduated from law school, he joined the Marine Corps as an officer (for those who are unaware, there’s been a long-standing rivalry between the two military organizations). Aside from differing political opinions, my grandpa has been known to make comments like, “Well, Jeff, you really could have gone somewhere if you’d stuck with football,” even though my dad is currently a fairly successful criminal lawyer (and he loves his job).
Despite the irksome comments and difficult past, my father and grandfather love each other very much. They share a common love for reciting poetry and quoting classic literature. And despite the fact that my dad always knows an offensive comment will be made, he always visits my grandparents’ house when his path crosses theirs.
So when I wear this pocket watch, I imagine all of these beautifully conflicting feelings of annoyance and affection, which, as I’m sure is the case with my dad, strangely brings me closer to my family.
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