Well, there's no getting around it, I supposed. We have to turn our clocks ahead one hour tonight. We have to give up a whole hour of our lives. "They" tell us we'll get it back come fall when we fall back again. But did you ever think about the people who will die between now and next autumn? They never get their hours back. Where do those hours go? Can their children inherit them? Or do they go into a fund somewhere to be used by Washington to fund nepharious projects?
I've never trusted Daylight Savings Time. Did I ever tell you about the disgruntled gardener who called one of our editors when I was working as a secretary for Progressive Farmer magazine? It was during one particularly hot and dry summer. This lady was fit to be tied. She claimed that DST was responsible for all her tomato plants burning up. That extra hour of sunshine was just more than they could take.
You're probably laughing, right? Not only was our gardening editor not responsible for DST, THERE IS NO EXTRA HOUR OF DAYLIGHT to burn up tomato plants! It's myth. There are the same number of hours of daylight as there would be on standard time. No daylight is saved; it's just switched around to the other end of the clock so we have to get out of bed an hour earlier. Well, those of you who go to school and work do. As retirees, Sophie and I can ignore DST and stay in bed. Nanny, nanny, boo boo.
So why! Why in the name of sunshine and shadow do we have to keep jumping back and forth with the time? Why can't "they" pick one and stick with it? I've heard that it saves on gas and electric bills. Well! That right there is propaganda. It's only the one day, Spring Forward Day, that has one less hour. All the rest of the days have just as many hours when gas and/or electric is needed. And the extra hour we get back in the fall eats up any savings on power bills that anybody realizes from that short day in the spring.
But I can tell you, it does no good to complain. I've been complaining ever since "they" started this foolishness way back whenever it was. You'll probably hear me complain next year too. If I'm still here next year.
Speaking of which, if I should pass before Fall Back Day, I want to will my extra hour to my sister Ramey. She needs all of them she can get.
This post was migrated from the old blog. To see the comments on the original post, CLICK HERE. To add a new comment, click "Post a Comment", below.
On 03/13/2010, Barbara Anne said ...
Thanks for the good laugh this morning and the excellent reminder to change my clocks! Please wait while I run to change my bedside clock...
Okay!
My father told me that Daylight Savings time was begun to give farmers more daylight hours in the fields. They could start at a reasonable clock time in the mornings and have supper at a reasonable clock time in the evenings. If not for the Daylight Savings time change, their suppers would be after 7pm! This way, when almost the entire population has to adjust, their suppers can be at 6pm! I know that a county in Indiana (its name escapes my memory) steadfastly refuses to go on DST!
Happy Saturday!
Hugs!
On 03/13/2010, Barbara Anne said ...
ah HA! The name of that Indiana county just bubbled to the surface: Brown County!
When we lived in Louisville, we went to Brown County one Saturday, dismayed to arrive so late in the day - then we found out it was an hour earlier there!!
On 03/13/2010, Vicki W said ...
They keep it going because in theory, it saves energy. But recent tests have proven that it doesn't do anything to save energy. One county that had not been on DST actually studied the energy consumption from before and after they made the switch and there was no change. Like "global warming", it's become a tradition to believe it's better to have DST. It's complete silliness if you ask me! Even the government web site doesn't give a good reason:
"One of the biggest reasons we change our clocks to Daylight Saving Time (DST) is that it reportedly saves electricity. Newer studies are being done to see if that long-held reason is true."
On 03/13/2010, Teresa/MarieSews said ...
I HATE the time change! It messes up my internal clock which then takes a good 2 months to reset. We don't use alarm clocks as we just ignore them so everyone relies on me getting up on time and waking up everyone else. From Monday on, I can just about guarantee that we will be late every morning until sometime in May. And then in the fall, it's dark so early that lights are burning for homework, dinner, and everything else that happens between 5:00 pm and bedtime. For what? Maybe I should move to Brown County. I don't see any advantage! Thanks for the venting opportunity!
On 03/13/2010, Susan Ramey Cleveland said ...
I know about that county in Indiana that Barbara is talking about. On a trip I made for Progressive Farmer (after I was promoted to writer), I had appointments in Louisville and over the line in Indiana. I got so confused, I was always either late or early for my appointment.
On 03/13/2010, Rian said ...
I looked it up once. If I remember correctly, it's so kids don't have to go to school in the dark in winter.
On 03/13/2010, Lynne in Hawaii said ...
Hawaii and Arizona DO NOT do the time change at all! I am not losing my hour! It is so nice to be out of that nonsense. I just have to remember the change for making phone calls to family on the mainland.
On 03/13/2010, Pokey said ...
It sounds like a conspiracy to me, LOL I am so time regulated, that internal clock God gave me, it messes my body system up BIG time for at least 2 weeks. Funny about the power of your editor at Progressive Farmer magazine, people are c-wazy!
On 03/13/2010, Linda said ...
I love it! This post is publish-able. Of course, it is published on the web, but could go wider.
On 03/13/2010, Ramey Channell said ...
Thank you so much for that hour! That's quite a thoughtful bequest! I bet no one has ever bequested an hour before!
I'm sure we'll both be here through many more Spring Forwards and Fall Backs. You're right, it's an evil plot; keeps us off balance so we can't comprehend what else "they" are plotting.
Ramey
On 03/13/2010, KAI said ...
I'm with Linda! This post needs more widespread readership! I think you should send it to Bryan Williams or ANY one of the National news anchors & DEMAND that they air it! So THERE to the idiots who thought up DST in the FIRST place. Who made THEM Ruler of Time anyway? The NERVE! First the powers that be - gag - decided to change national birthdays/holidays to make 3-day weekends. I know - a lot of people LIKE that. Well, when MY bd comes, I want it celebrated ON ITS PROPER DAY! Grumble, grumble! THEN they decided to lump Washington & Lincoln together & just celebrate 'Presidents' Day' - on a MONDAY, of course! Yes, I'm being hateful, but I don't LIKE people I don't even KNOW changing important things like TIME and BIRTHDAYS without a VOTE! And I vote NOOOOOOO! Now, if you'll pardon me, I'll just climb down off my little soapbox.
On 03/13/2010, Jean K. said ...
Up here in Canada it it just the past couple of years we've been doing the March/November thing before it was April/October. In some provinces it took a very long time to get voted in and there is still one province - Saskatchewan that does not do the DST. We had a few reports on the news the past couple of days about the increase in car accidents during the first week of DST so maybe it will be the insurance companies we all hate that will get it changed one way or the other and soon I hope. I'm mush for about three weeks after the change. Jean
On 03/13/2010, Jan said ...
I love it when we "gain" that extra hour in the Fall but it's gonna take my old body an entire week to get over loosing an hour this w/e! The older I get, the more painful that one less hour becomes! I bet if we had a formal vote at election time, the majority would say "no more DST!"
On 03/14/2010, Fitzy said ...
I can't tell you how happy I am to live in a state that doesn't "do" DST!!
You're a hoot!
On 03/14/2010, Violette Severin said ...
Uhmm, until I read this post, I was unaware that the time changed. Now I gotta get up and change all of my watches and clocks.
On 03/14/2010, mom2fur said ...
Oh, my gosh, you are so funny! Of course there isn't any extra daylight--it's just a government plot to fool us, LOL!
I just think the idea of DST before it's even spring is majorly ridiculous.
On 03/14/2010, Pat said ...
This makes perfect sense to me! I guess I never thought it out that far! Hilarious!
On 03/15/2010, Brenda Kula said ...
I read the other day that more people die in the first couple of days after the time change. Trying to alter their time and waking and sleeping differently. I guess it's so aggravating they just fall over dead.
Brenda
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