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V. Graceful Social Transitions and
the Zen Alarm Clock
In addition to the personal and contemplative uses described
above, the Zen Alarm Clock can be used as a progressively per-
sistent, yet gentle way to bring people together and to disperse
them when their time together is over.
1. Being Here Now & Being On Time
To be fully present with another person, you cannot be thinking
about where you have to be next. Checking your watch during a
conversation or discussion can appear rude and impatient.
However, if you have made an agreement to be at a certain place
at a certain time, breaking that agreement is also "bad form." In
our modern society, considerate people are often faced with the
dilemma of being "fully with" the person who is in their presence
and also being on time for the person they have agreed to see
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next. Business meetings, counseling sessions, and even social
lunches have a way of running on. It is often difficult to play the
role of "meeting police," interrupting someone in mid-thought.
The buzzing of an ordinary alarm clock or watch is also an inap-
propriately abrupt end. If you shut off the alarm, the meeting
continues; if you let the alarm ring, the meeting does not have a
chance to conclude gracefully.
The Zen Alarm Clock's progressive chime provides a gentle signal
that only a few minutes remain and that it is time to conclude.
Those who are oblivious to the time, however, will not be able to
ignore the gradually increasing frequency of the chime. Few
meetings can continue in the face of a chime every 4.7 seconds!
The next section suggests some specific applications for this tech-
nique of social engineering.
2. Progressive Chime Applications
When the clock will be used as a signal for a meeting's end, it is a
good idea to begin the meeting by telling the participants about
the clock and how it works. Agreements about a meeting's con-
clusion are best made at the beginning. The alarm can be set to
begin 5 minutes before the scheduled end so that the first warning
Transitions
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