A Man Of Action!

Have you noticed that Joe always wears his watch with the face on the bottom of his wrist? Here's the rest of the story of this man of action.

Joe Todd And His Wristwatch

Many people have asked me why I wear my wristwatch with the dial on the inside of my wrist instead of on “top” of my wrist. The answer is quite simple – it is the most efficient place to unobtrusively keep aware of time for a person of action – when reading a book in a class or meeting, when making notes in a meeting, when sitting in church, when running or walking down the street, or when driving an auto or flying an airplane where keeping your hands on the wheel is important. [He has his hands on the "wheel" in the picture above.] 

It has always seemed clear to me that was the most efficient way to wear your wrist watch ever since I was on Spring break from Howe Military School visiting my father who was in Ft. Wayne, IN. on business.  I arrived on a Tuesday and later that afternoon we went to the Chicago and Southern Airline ticket office on Calhoun Ave just south of Wolf & Dessauer department store to pick up our airline tickets to Detroit, MI where he still lived.

In those days (about 1946 when I was 12) Chicago & Southern Airline ticket agents were also their pilots. The fellow behind the counter began processing our tickets and I noticed he was wearing his wristwatch on the inside of his wrist. I had just received a wristwatch for my April birthday and was wearing it on the topside of my wrist. I asked him why he wore his where he did. And, he explained he wore it that way so he could fly the plane and keep his hands on the wheel while keeping track of the time – he said he had learned that while flying fighter planes in “The War”. 

I promptly changed my wristwatch to the action position and have worn it that way ever since - and have wondered why everybody else does not do the same. Perhaps they are not in tune with being action ready.  When I have explained that to some people today, they say why wear a wristwatch when “I keep track of the time on my cell phone”? I think to myself, “Have you ever tried to keep track of the time in a meeting without becoming obvious or driving your car or flying your airplane in traffic and reach down into your pants to pull out your phone?” That Chicago and Southern Airline pilot knew what he was taking about from real experience!

I also remember the flight the next day. We hit a significant number of air pockets causing the plane to suddenly drop in the air (people flying today at higher altitudes and in more modern planes will have no idea what I’m talking about). I was enjoying myself immensely during these sudden drops and was saying loudly “Whoa !!! Come back here” while pretending to pull down my stomach from the sky with my hands. After about the second time, my father, clearly annoyed, looked at me and said “Skipper, get control of yourself”. Interestingly, after that for the rest of the trip I found the air pocket drops more annoying than entertaining. Such is life.