The Clock

We have a clock in the front room - the room where the office and computers are.  A battery powered analog clock, it ticks off each second.   There are two slightly different sounds that oscillate - one a little higher pitched and a little louder than the other - giving the ticking a little rocking movement.

Sometimes I'm completely unaware of the clock.  The sound it emits is the same, I assume, though I could argue that there are times when it ticks quite noisily and other times when it runs silently.

I seem to notice it more when I am tired.  Sometimes then it seems so loud to me that I can't imagine how I don't hear it all the time.  Does it come to the forefront of my mind when I am tired and not focusing my mind on another source of stimulation?  That seems to be the case.

I can hear the clock well right now.  I also hear the hum of the heating system fan, the white noise from the computer, and a different hum, carrying a more distinct pitch, that I'm not sure of the source.  The part of me that reads and thinks is tired.  With effort I can initiate some activity, but my mind quickly settles back into a denser, more restful place, and the sound of the clock comes to the center of my awareness.