Elementally out of tune...

The character in the latest book I'm reading is so used to working outdoors. The author noted that he did not need a watch to know it was the end of the workday. They just knew by the angle of the sun and how the surroundings looked. He is in tune with the elements.

I remember being like that back where I grew up. Just by the way the sun shines, you can sort of tell the time. I might be off by an hour or so, but it was always close enough. It was not an uncommon skill. We were in the tropics. The days were relatively uniform. The sun would rise just before 6 am in the summer and just before 7 am in December. Less than an hour difference. Same with the sunset.

Now, I am higher in latitude and in the opposite side of the world. Here there are 4 seasons. There is such a difference in the length of the day in the summer vs. the winter. The sun looks so different in every season. If you're from the Philippines, I would describe the sunshine always looking like the morning rays. It never has that intense afternoon rays even as it sets. It may be the latitude. It's the same in the west coast.

That's why I can't tell time by the rays of the sun anymore. There is no distiction between morning and afternoon rays. I need to see the position of the sun. And since the length of days are so varied throughout the year, position is not necessarily the same. I really need a watch or some other time piece.

So, why is it that I don't wear a watch?