Do You Follow Instructions When You Have To Put Something Together?
By MARILYN
@Marilynda1225 (82791)
United States
January 20, 2024 11:25am CST
I got the idea for this post from Judy Evans @JudyEv when she was talking about her 3D puzzle.
I got a new clock for my bedroom as one of my Christmas gifts. I finally took it out of the box and plugged it in last night. It is supposed to automatically set the time and have large size numbers which is great for us seniors who have trouble seeing without our glasses.
The time popped up on the clock but it was an hour later than our time and the light on the clock was so bright it practically lit up my whole room.
Do you think I got up and tried to fix the time and the light? Nope.
I let the bright light bother me all night and the fact that the time wasn't right I just deducted that hour every time I checked throughout the night.
This morning I dug the instructions out of the box and brought them down to read while I had my coffee and glasses.
Duh...before plugging in it says to switch to the time zone I'm in. No wonder it wasn't right.
And there's a dimmer for the light so you can adjust the brightness.
I learned two things...read the instructions and keep a pair of glasses in my bedroom. 
20 people like this
22 responses
@Marilynda1225 (82791)
• United States
20 Jan
My clock is really nice and I like that it has large numbers so I can see it without my glasses,
I guess I inherited my lack of reading instructions from my grandfather, He never looked at the instructions until after he put it together. He never really needed them and had a gift for being able to assemble stuff.
2 people like this
@aureliah (24316)
• Kenya
20 Jan
@Marilynda1225 He must have been one lucky man. I once bought a smart watch online and I never managed to use it. Couldnt read Chinese and couldn't set it up without instructions
2 people like this
@AmbiePam (92711)
• United States
20 Jan
@Marilynda1225 That’s how my sister is! I envy people like that.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (180678)
• United States
20 Jan
I never read the instructions with my bedroom clock and whenever it needs adjustments friend has to do it. He is good with watches and clocks.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (180678)
• United States
22 Jan
@Marilynda1225 Yeah, I suppose I could if I really had to, but I might drive me bonkers in the process.
@Marilynda1225 (82791)
• United States
22 Jan
you're lucky you have backup if you can't get it to work
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (82791)
• United States
20 Jan
I shouldn't have been so lazy and just got up and fixed it. The light was so bright I was afraid my daughter was going to check on me and see why my light was on all night 
2 people like this
@just4him (317041)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
20 Jan
@Marilynda1225 Sometimes we need to be lazy. I'm glad she didn't check on you.
1 person likes this
@mildredtabitha (16126)
• Nairobi, Kenya
20 Jan
Two great lessons you learned. Nice. Clocks make good gifts. Finally you could adjust the time. I do follow instructions but not all the time.
2 people like this
@Marilynda1225 (82791)
• United States
22 Jan
A clock shouldn't be confusing but I finally got it to work properly
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (82791)
• United States
20 Jan
Guess I should follow the instructions instead of trying to do it on my own
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (166911)
• Boise, Idaho
21 Jan
Live and learn I guess. I usually do look at the instructions but I also have my grandson here to put things together for me.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (82791)
• United States
22 Jan
I've relied on my grandson many times when it comes to having to assemble something. You're lucky you have your grandson to help you
1 person likes this
@rebelann (112875)
• El Paso, Texas
22 Jan
I used to be that way when I still worked but once I got hooked on this cyber world I didn't care anymore.
@Marilynda1225 (82791)
• United States
22 Jan
I like a lighted clock in my bedroom so when I wake up I know what time it is. Don't know why I need to know but it's just an idiosyncrasy I guess
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471500)
• Switzerland
22 Jan
@Marilynda1225 I usually do, but I have found that some things were badly built and it took a while to assemble.
@Marilynda1225 (82791)
• United States
22 Jan
I bet you get it all done without too much trouble.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Jan
I’m helpless without the aid of instructions, unlike my brother who can just look at the picture on the box and immediately know how to assemble something or make it work/function. He’d have an item assembled and running before I ever got past step 1. Lol
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (82791)
• United States
22 Jan
My grandfather could put stuff together without instructions. I guess there are just some people who have a talent for that sort of thing.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121582)
• Gainesville, Florida
24 Jan
@Marilynda1225 My brother could also disassemble things (especially electronics) and then put it all back together perfectly. He’d have a hundred screws and wires and parts all laying around him, and he’d know exactly where every piece would go and in what order. He’s a real genius when it comes to that stuff.
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
22 Jan
Lol, I doubt that everyone reads instructions first. Although, I do think that we might, we as in the female persuasion, teens to read the instructions more for larger items like a book shelf or furniture than the men so.
What I don't always pay attention to is cooking instructions. Years ago when I bought knorrs packets (they used to be Lipton) of it had a cream sauce I would boil the noodles first and then read what it said. It took a few years since we didn't have that often, to read first because that one was boiled right in the milk, I think, rather than water.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (82791)
• United States
22 Jan
Life was so much easier when things came already assembled. I do agree that females probably do read instructions before a man will.
I've made some cooking mistakes like you mentioned. My memory is so bad that even things I microwave regularly I have to check to see how long to cook.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (82791)
• United States
22 Jan
Ikea is a whole other ballgame when it comes to putting stuff together. Who would have thought you needed instructions to plug in a clock
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339930)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 Jan
@Marilynda1225 Well, you know what people are like! lol
@Deepizzaguy (102804)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
21 Jan
I know how it feels when I put together batteries for my clocks and remote to carefully read the instructions.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (82791)
• United States
22 Jan
Maybe Im just old now but things seemed simpler years ago
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (102804)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
22 Jan
@Marilynda1225 Same with me in terms of being older and missing simpler things.
@Marilynda1225 (82791)
• United States
22 Jan
My eyesight is getting so bad I didn't see the button to push that says dimmer I had all intentions of putting it back in the box and returning it.
I had all intentions of putting it back in the box and returning it.1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (82791)
• United States
22 Jan
But who would have thought you would need instructions for a clock
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (82791)
• United States
22 Jan
You would think an alarm clock would just plug in and that would be that. I got it working and also found out that it's a clock radio too. The things you learn when you put on your glasses
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (106226)
• Marion, Ohio
20 Jan
I would probably have unplugged it until morning.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (82791)
• United States
22 Jan
I would have but I was too lazy and comfortable to get out of bed
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (79833)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
21 Jan
Actually, I have a digital LED lighted clock by my bed. I set it to the time and it shows red and green lights so around my bed is some light at night, I could not bother with instructions thinking I would mess up the clock so when it comes to the time change I never change it and I know the time anyway. It also has an alarm and a radio both of which I have never tried,
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (82791)
• United States
22 Jan
This clock sounds similar to what you have. Once I put my glasses on I saw that it also has a radio and alarm. I have an Alexa next to my bed so I really don't need those features on the clock.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (178568)
• United States
21 Jan
I go either way. Sometimes I try to figure it out without instructions...other times I follow the instructions to a "t". Sometimes the instructions are too confusing!!! Have a good day.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (82791)
• United States
22 Jan
Instructions can be very confusing sometimes. Guess it all depends on what we're trying to assemble.
1 person likes this
