On the wall hung two clocks, one new, one old.
The new clock always ran ten minutes fast.
The old clock’s hands were stuck at ten past ten.
Every morning, the owner gave the new clock a quick glance, then rushed out the door.
Every night, though, he stopped in front of the old clock and looked at it for a long time.
The old clock watched the new clock run and run every day without ever once being right, and thought it should help.
“Why put yourself through this?” the old clock said. “Look at me. I’m right twice a day, and the owner still stops to look at me every night.”
The new clock thought about it, and started to feel like a failure. The owner had never once stopped to really look at it.
So it worked up the courage to ask the old clock, “Old timer, what should I do?”
The old clock said earnestly, “Ah, young one. All you have to do is stop moving. Time will always catch up to you eventually. Be patient, and you can do it too.”
The next morning, the new clock made up its mind and stopped.
Ten minutes later, real time finally caught up with it.
For the first time in its whole clock-life, it got a taste of being on time.
The new clock thought asking the old clock for advice was the best decision it had ever made.
The old clock was genuinely happy for it.
That morning, the owner glanced at the new clock as usual, figured he still had time, and ended up late.
When he got home, he took the new clock down, set it ten minutes fast again, and hung it back up.
As for the old clock, the owner just wiped the dust off it.
Just like he did with his other paintings.
