This week I gave a talk in Arizona.  After I was done speaking, I froze for a few moments just to enjoy the experience of people applauding.  It didn’t mean anything, of course--people tend to applaud after a talk, whether or not they actually liked it--but it didn’t matter. Sincere or not, it’s not every day that people clap for something you’ve done, and it’s an experience worth savoring.

Ironically, there’s only one time when you can be sure that people are applauding sincerely, and it’s the time when it matters the least.  When people clap after a movie, you know they mean it because there’s no one there to offend.  At the same time, of course, it’s completely ludicrous. It may well be true that the audience members liked the movie, but I can tell you that the object of their enthusiasm, Tom Hanks, neither knows nor cares.

I did get an idea for a clock radio, however.  Usually I wake up to my NPR station and it’s okay except when people are yapping on about pledge drives or collapsing financial markets. Wouldn’t it be great if a clock could wake you up to the sound of rapturous applause?  Because let’s face it--it’s not your fault that you need to check out for eight hours at a time, getting your strength back and drooling on your pillow. It would be a nice feeling if, each and every day, you woke up feeling as though the world was welcoming you back to its stage.