analog or digital?

I like many college students I was somewhat of a spendthrift. Why spend money on something you can just as easily take from home when the parents are not looking? One such gem was my combo alarm clock/radio. It was a gift from my sister if memory served not to me but to an older sibling. They had moved on and the clock stayed in the room that I used and would have if I hadn't taken it with me. While I had much love for the clock it would later to be the bane of my existence. If I were not the youngest this device could have been my annoying younger sibling. It would have been Aaron Burr to my Alexander Hamilton, Woodward/Bernstein to my Nixon, Darius III to my Alexander the great. Our relationship was not always strained. At one time we shared evenings listening to the beautiful sounds of KOMA out of Oklahoma City (before they went country) and on clear nights KSTP out of the Twin Cities. Saturday we would listen to KEDD and hear Casey Kassem implore us to keep our feet on the ground while reaching for stars. This after at least one long-distance dedication, two answers to questions about past pop music hits and no less than the top 40 hits of these united states as reported by billboard magazine. This alarm and I had quite a history. Waking me over the years it had seen its much better days by the time that one summer day arrived. An 8 might look like a 3 or a 5 depending on the hour or its mood. Other LED displays might read out words or so I thought if I woke up in the middle of the night, For the most part, it did its best and rang an alarm at a decent hour and I would make my way to school or work depending on the day, I had at least 3 watches (okay not a spendthrift in that area) and one had an alarm but because I was unflinchingly loyal I couldn’t bring myself to part with this clock. Did I mention it could charm you in both AM and FM bands? How do you say goodbye to something that brought such joy and was like a part of the family? It would be like looking at the favorite pet and deciding on a whim it was time to get rid of the old girl. The new golden retriever was soooo much better. Look how cute it was! Puppy breath and paws pouncing on everything in site! Why did you wait so long to replace the old girl? Or was it more like, sure this one is old but the vet said she will hang on for a little while longer? She has brought so much joy over the years I would hate to part with her. Oh sure she was great for so many years but the new puppy was One morning during summer school it had failed me. I rolled over, glanced at its indifferent face, and thought I was late for my first class. As I rushed to the school, I was contemplating the possibility that I might have to part with my old friend. No more begging it to change either the hour or the minutes with what body English I could muster in my fingers to correct the alarm using buttons that gave little with pressure. No more tuning it with precision the likes a safecracker would employ hoping to get a decent station or any station for that matter. It might be time to put the old girl down. Not that I thought about it very long, I had a class to get to and fast. Never mind that I walked through our student union within the eyesight of at least 5 clocks. Never mind that I literally walked past the clock on the geographic center of campus. I kept my head down with steady resolve. I had a class to get to damn it, nothing was going to stop me. I tried to sneak into class, shyly not looking at either the instructor or my classmates. I did sneak a look at the board to see the phrase “Money and Banking” written. Good I thought, this class was for international business, so M/B fit right into the scheme. But then it happened. The instructor began to speak. The more he spoke the more confused I became. My instructor was from the middle east with a thick accident. This potential Mr. Chips was clearly an Anglo. With a fine-tuned ear one would guess from upper Wisconsin. Still not looking at HIM I looked around the room. I saw someone I knew. She mouthed to me “what are you doing here??” Equally confused I mouthed back, “I have no idea,” looking for a quick and quiet exit I stood up announcing “do you people realize you are in the WRONG class?” Easing toward the door with about as much grace as a sea otter in a room full of killer whales the instructor took the bait. Score one for the orcas. “What class are you looking for?” he asked with heightened attention. “International business but it doesn’t start for another 45 minutes so you all can go ahead and finish up!” I replied. As I made my way back toward the student union, thinking about the coffee I was going to drink while avoiding any homework for class I was too early for, the cheers coming from the classroom softened my embarrassment. I thought it over. An alarm clock that far gone should have been dumped long ago. Not during the REM of a college student already trying to capture a few more Z’s. Shopping for a new alarm soon after I thought of my old friend., Having bid her goodbye and looking for a new device to blame my tardiness on I hoped the next professor would be as forgiving even I wouldn’t be. My alarm’s tenure depended on it.