Time for a change?
So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:12 ESV
Never waste anything, but, above all, never waste time. John Lubbock
Presently in the news is a bill that elicits a variety of responses from people but isn’t one that is highly divisive…though most everyone has an opinion on it. I wonder if many of you are as ambivalent as I am? It’s the concept of making Daylight Savings Time permanent to avoid switches in clock time twice per year yet provide convenient daylight hours for the prime active outdoors summer season.
Medical research has clearly shown how hard it is on our bodies to have this twice per year shift with clocks/time. Yet, it’s all I’ve ever known in my life. I do so enjoy the dawn not coming too early in the summer and the horribly hot days giving way to perfect long twilight summer evenings. During Standard time, though I dislike the early sunset, it is rather nice to have it not have darkness too late into the morning.
So, what to do? Though some may prefer Standard Time to be the permanent time for the United States, I must say that I much prefer the thought of Daylight Savings Time being permanent…if I have to choose one or the other. Not only do I love those long warm summer evenings, but I don’t want to have to get up at 3 am in the summer to get out hiking before the morning sun is too intense…which is what would happen if we had Standard Time year around. In addition, my age has made my body finally attuned to waking up just before dawn…and that also would be extremely early if we had Standard Time in the summer.
Yet, I know that others have reason for supporting Standard Time year around. Many dislike the idea of getting up when it’s pitch dark to go to work or school. Since Circadian rhythm is primarily tied to light, I’m guessing that medical organizations favor Standard Time because it benefits the portion of the population that works 9-5 as well as those who attend school at roughly the same time. Yet, I feel like those living in more northern areas always do that in late fall through early spring. Indeed, if we were all completely tied to Circadian rhythm, it seems like we would sleep the winter away since there are much fewer daylight hours!
One thing that most people agree on is that the bi-annual time change is tough! We all tend to like the “fall back” when we get an extra hour to sleep but dislike the “spring forward” when we lost an hour of sleep. Our sleep schedules and our tomachs (and our pets’ too) are confused by the changes. So, whether you are a fan of Daylight Savings Time or Standard Time, these are interesting questions to ponder… We shall see what happens to the bill and our American tradition of bi-annual clock changes.
