DOES ANYONE REALLY KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?
We just survived another ‘time change’ weekend. Once again our body biorhythms are out of
sync. Most of us will be affected by
this manipulation of time. Some to more
degrees than others. Losing an hour of sleep, in an already sleep deprived
world is frustrating. It is not easy to recapture that hour of sleep. It can take days even weeks to get back on
tract. For most of us, losing that precious
hour of sleep brings on a new level of grumpiness, irritability, inability to
focus as we should, even a higher stress level.
The Monday after can result in lower productivity no matter what the
calling or profession. Our local school
districts close for Spring Break right after time change Sunday. Rightfully so.
This year seemed especially difficult for me. I do not like the feeling; drowsiness,
fogginess, and an overall lethargic demeanor. However, most of us do like the
extra hour of daylight. But who are we
kidding?We all have that same
allotment of time. I believe an old
proverb sums it up: ‘a blanket cannot be made longer by cutting off the top and
sewing that top at the bottom’. How did it get so complicated?
There is the belief that there are even more accidents, more
mistakes and slip ups on the Monday after.
I think I would be prone to avoid important decision making, business
deals and even perhaps surgery on that Monday.
Not to mention the intricate domino effect of adjusting clocks, record
keeping devices, equipment, electronic devices and so on. It gets complicated.
As a hobby farmer I find the
hour of daylight in the evening, means I have that extra hour of darkness in
the morning. There are only so many
hours in the day.
.I decided to change the clocks in my home right around noon
on Saturday this year. My plan was to
outsmart my body rhythms and do my own manipulations of the time change. However, it got complicated.
We decided to grill our dinner on that very
beautiful Saturday afternoon; the first nice day in several weeks. I knew I was in trouble when my husband
asked, “When do you want me to grill, the old time or the new time?” Good question.
Even with my best intentions to operate on the new time, we
ended up going to bed on the old time.
Somehow, it got complicated. I had set all the clocks. Or so I thought. The next morning, awakening with the new
time, I went to use the stove. Confusion:
was it set the old time or new time? Old
time; it had to be reset. Last clock to
change, or so I thought.
Got dressed to go to church.
Put on my watch. Is this old time
or new time? Old time; adjust watch.
Got in car to drive to church. Looked at clock; old time or new time? Old time; adjust clock.
Got to church and most clocks were on new time, I think. Some were not. Frustrating with everyone asking: old time or
new time. And as usually happens, some
poor souls stumble into church: old time.
Time change. Some
countries began using it in the early 1900’s. It is believed to save energy for
evening lighting, extend time for shopping and outdoor activities. Many states
never bought into this manipulation of time.
Our very own Texas is considering doing away with it. It is complicated.
Time: man has written about, sung about it, tried to outsmart
it, manipulate it and even put it in a bottle.
Wise Solomon from the book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 sums it
up best:
“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under
heaven.”
We are helpless to change it,
manipulate it, persuade it and we certainly cannot control it.
Therefore, use the time we have wisely;
enjoy it, relax in it and at the end of our time, have no regrets.
After all, there is a time to be born and a
time to die. What we do in between is entirely
up to us. Let’s not make it so complicated!