February 6, 2009
Watches (Or, Why Megan is Sentimental)
Watches have always been special to me.
I remember my dad having the same Timex gold watch while I was growing up. It had a twisty band, and I have a vivid image in my mind of my dad’s watch on his nightstand.
As a graduation present from college my parents bought me a stainless steel Rolex. I wore it every day until I married Anh in July of 2005.
As a wedding present, Anh got me a beautiful Breitling watch – a “Cosmonaute”.
It’s a pilot watch… 24 hour mechanical, with a slide rule for calculation and conversion and a stopwatch. I’ve timed more than one VOR approach and hold with it (piloty stuff!).
I absolutely love it.
Well, until last year. Last November.
I got a bunch of feedback that it was “too manly” (It is!)… and I stopped wearing it.
For a while, I wore the watch my parents got me then I just started wearing a simple digital Timex.
Anh and I had talked a lot about the watch and we had agreed that I would pass it on to Samwich. (John would get my Rolex).
Anh wanted to get me a new watch… we looked. A lot. Nothing felt right.
Then, just before New Year’s, I made a resolution.
I hadn’t been true to my beliefs about this whole transition thing. I had said from the beginning that transitioning wouldn’t change me fundamentally. The stuff I loved, I still loved (or wanted to love…)
I love the watch. Manly or not.
I started wearing it again.
Its clunky. Big. I love it. Its me. (Big and Clunky!)
N4151P came out of annual today… I can’t wait to time my next approach with the watch that my lovely wife gave me….
M( ) 
morgan said,
February 7, 2009 at 4:10 pm
yay…
i’m so glad you are wearing the watch that you love….even if you had been born female you might have a mans watch for sentimental reasons…i don’t see why you have to be all matchy-matchy.
Kris from Arkansas said,
February 9, 2009 at 7:16 am
I have been known to wear a man’s wrist watch in the past and no one ever had a problem with it. They are much nicer and bigger so that I could actually SEE the time (my vision is TERRIBLE) and if anyone had a problem with it, they never said anything to me about it. If I were so inclined to wear watches now I’d STILL get a guys watch. Wear that watch with pride, Megan.
Samantha said,
February 10, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Why is she sentimental? Cause she’s a girl silly! It kinda comes with the territory much of the time. It’s a damn fine watch, and yes, I can so see it being useful. I know plenty of natals who have men’s watches for the similar reasons, so no worry.
It’s not a MAN’s watch, it’s Megan’s Watch!
So there!
Sam
brian said,
February 11, 2009 at 10:50 am
“. . .I hadn’t been true to my beliefs about this whole transition thing.”
Hmmm.
1. I’d say the act of carefully considering / thinking about who you need to be and how to navigate through life (even if the subject is accessories) is an act of being “true” to yourself, weather you wear your old watch or not.
2. Looks like you are following the fashion trends of celebrities! 🙂
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/news/hold-on-to-your-watches-gentlemen-as-more-women-are-opting-to-wear-large-chunky-mens-models-825931.html
3. I know you may not be big into accessories (things change though! :)) but I could see a watch like that worn loosely. . . between a few bangles with color. . . the serious / fun / masculine / feminine contrast might be cool. . . but that’s just me. . . consider the source.
Morton Jones said,
February 12, 2009 at 8:34 pm
Last flight 515 days ago????
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N4151P
>> Sad but true! I hope to fix that shortly! Airplane is out of annual, and ready to go!