10:10
Did you know ten past ten is the moment of perfection in the watch industry? If you take a close look at nearly every professional watch advertisement in the world, you’ll find the time set at 10:10.
Why? From a graphic standpoint, it appears balanced. Little hand to the left, big hand to the right, top of center. It doesn’t cover up the calendar date at the bottom.
Rolex, Cartier, Tag Heuer…they all follow the same rules of marketing. It’s the quintessential moment of perfection for a timepiece.
Kind of like that girl in the magazine. Photoshopped to perfection. No wrinkles. No bags, no sign she has a responsibility in the world. She’s set at 10:10.
Just like that guy in the romance novels. Handsome. Understanding. Full of integrity and such a good listener. He’s set at 10:10.
And our relationships? Those early dating days. Or the day of our wedding. Both set at 10:10.
The problem with marriages is that our lives don’t freeze at 10:10. They exist at 2:39 in the morning when the baby cries, or 3:37 in the afternoon when the mortgage is due, or at 9:38 in the evening when the make-up is taken off.
Because in real life we get tired, discouraged, beat down, frustrated, disappointed, disgusted and the world bears down on us. Much of our lives play out beyond a perfect 10:10.
But doesn’t mean we can’t have the perfect marriage. It doesn’t mean we can’t be married to the perfect spouse.
For it’s a perfect gentleman who views the stretch marks on his wife’s stomach as a glorious sign of her sacrifice for the family.
Or a wonderful wife, who though realizing there’s more bills than money, is still crazy about her hard working man.
Anybody can dream of somebody at 10:10.
But real love is what happens before and after those rare moments of perfection.
The truth is when you try to photograph a watch with the hands showing 10:10 you have to freeze that moment in time. To do so, you either have to pull out the pin or take out the battery to stop the movement. You’ve got to drain it of its life.
It’s a dead watch.
Life in a marriage is what happens with the second hand sweeping through each and every moment. The good times, the hard times and hard to hang in there times.
The life of a marriage is faith, steadfastness and encouragement. It’s about celebrating the tattered sails as much as the occasional drifts in smooth waters.
So give your spouse a hug. Whisper in their ear. Tell them they’re a perfect 10.
Looking for more Michael? You might also enjoy Earned. Never Given.
Michael K. Reynolds is a writer with more than two decades of experience in crafting fiction, non-fiction, journalism, copywriting and documentary production. He is represented by Janet Kobobel Grant of Books & Such Literary Agency.
He is the author of a series of Irish historical novels published by B&H Publishing Group. These highly acclaimed books are available in bookstores and libraries across the nation and beyond.
Featured Image: Walk The Line, Starring Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash and Reese Witherspoon as June Carter, Photo Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
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