Wall Clock August 2014 - "Honduras"

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The moment I saw this clock on Craigslist I knew I wanted it. I haven’t seen many Honduran items, if any, especially not clocks. I don't know much about Honduras so I thought this was my opportunity to remedy that. After a few moments on Wikipedia, I learned Honduras is part of Central America where Mayan’s flourished until Christopher Columbus and later, Hernan Cortes brought on the Spanish conquests. Spain ruled Honduras for 300 years. Today, Honduras is home to the highest per capita murder rate in the world and exports coffee, clothing, and bananas. Multi-national corporations Dole and Chiquita control most of the exports. 50% of the population is below the poverty line and only 40% complete primary school. The US Congress is looking to cut foreign assistance to Honduras and many other Central American countries.

The clock is the shape of Honduras, in the center is the coat of arms, with the Honduran flag on the side. It reminds me a bit of the Hawaiian airport with its dark browns. I very much like the cheesy-vacationy-theme with this particular clock.  The clock is used, weathered, and there seems to be an electrical problem which causes the second hand to jitter and jump, and move backwards and forwards in time! Whoa! Even with a new AA battery this clock has seen better days. Anyways, I didn't by the clock for it's time-telling capabilities. I liked the story and the look.

Before me, the clock belonged to John, a 40-something man of Asian descent who inherited the clock from his parents who lived in Honduras for a time, where this clock hung in their kitchen. I wanted more information about his parents, why they lived in Honduras, for how long, why they moved to the US, and where John was during this time. But John was rushed and didn't have much time for my questions. So I turned to my imagination to fill in the gaps.

I imagined the couple sitting at their kitchen table in Honduras , holding hands, conversing about the day’s events, as they smiled lovingly at each other, while the clock hung nearby. I wondered if they bought the clock before moving to Honduras or while they were living there? I wondered if the clock meant more to the parents than to the son they gave it to? Clearly, the clock was important, bringing it back to America was important, and giving it to their son was important. So perhaps now I can fill this clock with importance once again. If only for a few weeks.

These memories and the new short education of the struggles of the Honduran people is well worth the $12 spent. Hopefully, upon donation at the end of the month, someone else will be inspired to learn about Honduras.