Time

Cletus allowing late afternoon sunshine to gild his fur.

I was surprised to learn today that Daylight Savings Time begins this Sunday. While I’m confident most of you already knew it, I thought I’d drop a line or two about it today just to clue in anybody else who might be as clueless as I am.

It just seems early ‘in the season,’ for DST to begin. But I think it’s been ‘arriving’ progressively earlier and earlier for quite a while now.

I know it’s a bone of contention, but overall, I like the extra daylight. It gives me more time to accomplish the things that matter most to me. Because of my night owl tendencies, I get my best post writing done after Karl goes to sleep. That usually means I’m up for at least two or three more hours every night.

Consequently, I sleep in a bit later than a lot (most?) people, besides those who work night shifts. Obviously, that means my day starts later – and I end up doing everything a bit later. It’s just the way my rhythms work, I guess. (I am able to get up very early and function well. I’m great at rallying. But I don’t like to have to get up really early consistently. Occasionally? Fine.

As a result, during the winter months, when we’re operating on standard time, I run out of daylight. That usually means I either have to tear myself away from writing or doing whatever other work I might be doing through the late afternoon (an odd time of day for me to crank work out, but alas, that’s also part of my pattern) or I have to walk in the dark.

I’ve tried shifting when I begin focusing on projects or responsibilities, and I inevitably get thrown off track. It’s annoying and frustrating, but I’m also reaching a point where it just feels better to forgive myself and my circadian rhythms and simply go with the flow instead.

On the other hand, I am not a proponent of year-round Daylight Savings Time or standard time. While I may occasionally get frustrated with the shorter days, I also find they resonate with an innate desire within myself to cocoon and ‘go within.’ I love when the house is cloaked in darkness and the warm, golden glow of the lights and the fireplace make everything just feel cozy. I wouldn’t want to give that up.

In so many ways, we live in such artificial environments that we lose track of our connection with the seasons. I think the somewhat abrupt transition from standard time to Daylight Savings Time (and back again) serves us, in a way, almost like a wake-up call.

The seemingly sudden shift is like a sharp rap on a table. It calls our attention to either (a) it’s prime time to start making a point to be outside in nature, starting new projects, or otherwise bringing fresh perspectives to our lives - so here’s an extra hour to enjoy; or (b) it’s time to pull ourselves in energetically and focus a bit more on our inner life.

Both opportunities, using the extra time to nurture our souls by consciously using it to reconnect with Mother Earth, and using the extra ‘dark’ time to do some self-reflection, including contemplating the year that’s just been lived, what you’ve learned, and where you want to head next, are essential to leading a healthy, balanced life.

So, yeah. I’m a proponent of keeping both. But given what I’ve seen in the news over the past few years, I think the argument for sticking with one time frame or the other is growing. If one way saves people and businesses money, that’s probably the way that will eventually become law. And maybe it will make sense.

Ultimately, I’m confident that our resilience will stand us in good stead. Just don’t forget to spring your clock forward Saturday night.