A Word To the Wise: Fall Back

[al Hartman]

 

     It is often said that a word to the wise is sufficient, which is no doubt the reason that a word is seldom sufficient.  Nonetheless, for those with ears to hear: Now is the time to (if you haven't already) flag your calendar and tape a note to your alarm clock, reminding you to reset the time from daylight savings to standard this weekend.  At 2:00AM Sunday, Oct 31, 2004, the time will suddenly become 1:00AM again, allowing you the opportunity to relive the past hour (so be sure to make that hour a good one).

     The formula is a simple one:  Spring ahead; Fall back.  In the springtime, the clock moves forward one hour; in the autumn, it moves backward one hour.  In other words, last spring they took away an hour from us-- this Sunday morning they will give it back.  Which raises two gnawing questions:

(1.)  Who are "they?" and

(2.)  Just what did "they" DO with our hour all summer long?  I mean, last April when they took it away, many of us could really have used that hour!  Many of us really felt the loss on Monday morning, and desperately wanted it back...  But, noooooo...  "They" had to take it, didn't they?  And without so much as a "By your leave," or an IOU!

     Had that hour been money instead of time, whoever "borrowed" it would have been required by law to return it with interest, would they not?!  Now, even when interest rates are down, an hour, over the span of an entire summer, should have earned at least a couple of minutes in interest.  Yet they (whoever they are) return the hour as ungraciously as they took it, without even the courtesy of thanks, much less interest.

     Millions of Americans have steadfastly followed the 2004 political campaigns, enduring painfully the presidential and vice-presidential debates, in hope of hearing this key issue addressed and resolved.  But alas, our hopes have been dashed:  discussion and accusation have whirled about the topics of economy, terrorism, education, and employment, but we are no nearer now than we were years ago to knowing the mystery of the daylight savings hour.

     Don't forget to set your clocks this Sunday morning or you'll show up to worship an hour early, no one will be there, and you'll think you slept through the rapture!!!

Have a blessed weekend,
al

[lenore]

 :DOctober 30th , the night that the clocks are set back.

A WORD TO THE WISE:

- the main reason for the daylight saving time is to be able to enjoy the sun in the evening,
- to set it back, so the sun can be enjoyed more in the morning.

For many they arrive at work in the dark, and return home in the dark.
So many of them suffer from seasonal disorder, where they become depressed because of insufficient sunlight.

I heard on the news the other night, if farmers had their way, there would be no daylight savings time.
They perfer the sunlight to be in the morning.
Then for the rest of us the sunlight in the summer would come up about 4 am. instead of going down after 9 pm in the summer.

Come December 21st , the shortest night of the year.

Maybe we should be thankful, that we dont live in a area where it is light all day for half the year, and dark all the time for the other half.

Just thinking out loud.