Back when I wrote back

This past week was filled with reminders, admonitions, warnings and announcements to “turn the clocks ... back.”

Looking back at our usual fixation with moving forward, one suddenly realizes how much “back” backs into our lives.

When angry, we “get our back up.” When working, albeit the task is backbreaking, we're urged to “put your back into it.” All too often, we must watch our back to avoid the treacherous stab in the back, all the while trusting our buddies to “watch our back.”

In sports, we have the backstroke in swimming and tennis; full backs, half backs and running backs in football; the backboard in basketball; the backstop in baseball (not to mention back-to-back homers); the backstretch in racing and, of course, for the sedentary, there is backgammon.

Sometimes the sink (or we) get a little backed up, as does traffic though that doesn’t deter the back-seat driver from directing us to take back roads or back streets.

For so many, “back” is the way to go, as the disrespectful talk back, the nostalgic look back, the homesick move back and those taking advantage of a second chance make a comeback that puts them “back in the saddle.” Often plans backfire or generate backlash. Meanwhile, the cowardly back off and away, even as backslapping politicians with no backbone backpedal to cover their backsides.

The jealous offer compliments that are backhanded. Purists go back to basics. Backstage, actors await a call-back. Even as firefighters wrestle with back-drafts, sailors with backwater, clergymen with backsliders, supplies with backlogs, campers with backpacks, the burdened with backaches and biologists with bacteria.

Good friends will scratch your back (if you’ll scratch theirs) and will back you to the hilt. While Michael J. Fox will go “back to the future,” bankers continue to value greenbacks, buyers any cash back, employers any union give-back, workers any back pay or pay back and entrepreneurs any (generous) backer.