Now that I have a three-year-old, I’ve really been noticing the loss of light this year. Vivian used to be able to burn off a lot of energy before bedtime by running around the neighbourhood with her friends after supper. And, of course, the amount of running around time before sunset has been getting progressively shorter. And now, with our clocks going back one hour, there will be very little light available to us after eating.
I’m officially sick of this silly spring-forward-fall-back dance we engage in year after year. I am officially jealous of Saskatchewan. Now that the Bush Administration has extended Daylight Savings Time into November and March in order to save energy, the folly of this switch becomes more plain. It’s officially six weeks until the shortest day of the year, and moving the clocks back now is just a kick in the groin for those who are even remotely afflicted by Seasonal Affective Disorder.
I used to say, instead of falling back one hour, why not just fall back a half hour and be done with all the clock changing. But now I say this: screw Standard Time. I want my evening light, gosh darn it. I don’t care if I have to wake up in darkness to get it. Let’s spring forward in 2009 and stay there. Who’s with me?
November 2, 2008 11:53 PM
There are a number of Saskatchewanians who want to change their clocks. To them I stick out my tongue and ask them to try living where you have to do it twice a year!
November 3, 2008 9:31 AM
I’m with you, James! I remember years ago being in a store and being shocked to see a young child shopping with her parents in the middle of the night. Then I realized it was only 5:30 p.m. in late November. So sad. I like light!
November 3, 2008 2:12 PM
You know the alternative is to stay with standard time (that’s what Saskatchewan does) and change our life style to the farming life style. Up at sun rise and to bed with sun set. Hey it worked for all those centuries before the 19th and 20th! Office hours would be 8 to 4. Why did factories and offices go to 9 to 5 in the first place? I like the clock’s noon and the sun’s noon being the same!
November 3, 2008 3:29 PM
During WW11 my brother and I walked to public school close to 9AM and it was still dark I believe DST was year round during wartime,
November 3, 2008 9:30 PM
I always said that if the government wants me to start work at 8 am instead of 9 am, they should say that, and not lie to me about what time it is.
While my father ran his own house after he retired he kept the clocks on Standard time year round, and put up a yellow sticky to that effect.
November 6, 2008 9:40 PM
The worst part about it with little kids, well my kid anyway, is she is in bed an hour later, but still wakes up with the sun. So she’s been progressively losing more and more sleep all week, resulting in a crying mess. But there’s no time after school, lessons, and dinner for an earlier bedtime.
I don’t care which times they choose - just stick with it year-round.