I once had an alarm clock. It sounded crisp, clear and consistent every morning at 5 am from Monday’s to Fridays, an hour later on Saturdays and an hour earlier on Sundays. My alarm clock contrary to the modern alarm clock’s beep, buzz or ring is not as noisy. My alarm clock is my mother. She does not sound like that of the lifeless, robotic, catatonic hotel’s concierge “Good morning, this is your wake up call.” Nor was she like that of my aunt’s wake up shouts that could wake even the dead. Her alarm went like “Nicnic, Sandro, Hazel, Peter, Carin. If it will rain arrows today, you would all be dead! If it will rain money, you’d still be dead as you won’t be able to dodge the sack of coins that could possibly hit your head.”

At these words, 5 kids scrambled out of bed, competed for the single bathroom of the family, hurriedly ate breakfast before rushing to school. At that early age, my mother taught me that I could either join the mob of having to be the first to be using the single bathroom and squabble over who finished last in eating as the last one gets to wash the dishes, dry it and store it in the cupboard or I could get up earlier than usual and get things done with enough time to ready myself for another day, another excitement, another madness if not another step to things I that want to accomplish.

Alarm clocks are designed to remind us what we are about to do, what had we planned for the morrow. We used it to signal ourselves that we are to endeavour new things in life and as we plan for it, we include ensuring setting the alarm to when would we want things to be. Even Plato in 428 BC had a water alarm clock to signal the beginning of his lectures at dawn. What is your alarm clock? Have you used it today?

I knew of a certain friend who uses 3 alarm clocks in a single event, just to be sure. As the alarm rings, she simply turns it off and sleeps again. On the 2nd ring, took it again and sleeps again. Even to the 3rd alarm clock. Why set it in the first place? Alarm clocks were to alarm us but need we be alarmed?

My mother’s daily chime about the arrows and the sacks of coin was with me when I left home and was on my own during college. Its absence did not hinder me because as far as I could remember, I always awoke earlier than that of my alarm clock. I had set my alarm clock one month before graduating college by sending my resume to various companies. Luckily, I was accepted by the current company that I worked for. Visiting my parents’ home one time, I expected to hear my alarm chime but there was none. No wonder I woke late on that day. By being the alarm clock, I was taught of its use. I exclaimed “Ma, all these years, I had caught the arrows you spoke of and some sacks too. Thank you for teaching me discipline.”

Definitely, my alarm clock worked. Had your alarm clock worked for you? Or are you worked-up by your alarm clock? Go ahead set your alarm clocks. When it rings, snoozes or buzz, get up as it signals you are to accomplish something and that this something is what you look forward to.