the watch of time

This is the fifth of a series devoted to the notion that, despite what passes for a ‘reality show’ today, there is always room for marketing a less meaningful or suitable concept.  

• BUS STOP SPLASH STORIES:  For many, bus stop blues stamp the indelible book-ends of the workday. Bus delays or not, inclement weather can bring waves of the unexpected, albeit ending with someone’s dry cleaning expense.  Testy relations with one’s fellow man ensue, especially the man who whips through the stop leaving a penetrating splash on the unwary.  The depth and dirt quotient may vary, but the ripple effect remains.  See white clothes turn a darkish hue, see clingy fabrics take on a whole new visible meaning. The transition from dry waiting passenger into four-letter word dispenser has never been more dramatic.
• TOO SOON:  What is the potential havoc when time simply runs out on one activity and is replaced by another one?  We look into the repercussions when the next event arrives, ready or not.  The shower interrupted by a client’s call, the power failure causing half-cooked meals, or the missed pick-up due to delays, all these situations have consequences, perhaps unlucky, perhaps adaptable, perhaps even amusing in retrospect, but always a learning experience.  While we can’t always be prepared, it’s never too soon to become a better person by coping with life’s travails.
• THE ROAD SHOULDER DIARIES: If only the shoulders of busy roads could talk, the stories they could tell.  Well, now they can.  Thanks to strategically installed cameras and microphones along highways throughout the continent, we see and hear revealed what really replaces the ride when vehicles are pulled over to the side of the road.  Who are those cell phone calls really going to?  Why is that couple smiling when they’re not moving?  What are the children really doing in the ditch that’s taking them so long? There’s a lot more here than just going down the road.