By Bonnie Brown

Columnist

Are you ready to leap into Spring on March 9 via Daylight Savings Time?  It seems as if we just managed to get a routine established after the “fall back” time change in November.  According to the Library of Congress, Daylight Savings Time (DST) was enacted as a fuel cost-saving measure during World War I by adding an extra hour of sunlight to the day.  It became federal law in 1966.  In 2022, the Senate unanimously approved an act to make daylight savings time permanent, but it did not pass the House.

This bi-yearly time change has divided appeal.  There are those who think it should continue and those who prefer not.  Both sides make compelling arguments.  What is your preference?

When it comes time to spring forward or fall back, I begin changing our clocks in the afternoon.  I think that gives us a better transition than scrambling just before bedtime or the next morning to reset the clocks.  But there’s always one clock that is overlooked even though I try to get them all reset.  Through the years, I have purchased atomic clocks (those clocks that set the time automatically) to eliminate having to manually reset clocks for DST. These clocks are quite sophisticated, involving an elaborate system of lasers and atoms which keep it precisely in sync with the official time clock in Boulder, Colorado.  Amazing, right?

I’ve been concerned for years about all these “signals” bouncing around our atmosphere.  What if they collide or overlap in some way?  Can that happen?  

How does the change of time affect your family?  The hour change can be a difficult adjustment.  Think how your pets react to the change in their feeding times. Also, children must make adjustments for school and activities.  Morning commutes are different.  Routines are modified.  With so many things in our world changing at the drop of a hat, it’s daunting.   Our lives change in so many ways–the weather changes daily, seasons change, our government changes (seemingly daily), relationships change, diets change.  The list goes on and on.  

Spring break will take place during the transition to DST.  How will that affect the thousands of college students across the country?  Will they even recognize the time change?  

According to the Associated Press Stylebook, the correct term is daylight “saving” (not savings) time.  It’s also supposed to be lowercase, not uppercase.  Wonder who made that decision?  A committee perhaps?

I am so resistant to change, and that includes changing time.  I think I speak for a lot of us when I say that it takes a little while to acclimate.  But I like it when evenings are filled with sunshine for a longer period of time.  This gives those who are still doing a 9 to 5 job a little time for recreation.  Or perhaps they can attend a child’s little league game.  Maybe just sit and enjoy the warm weather and daylight hours.

As Daylight Savings Time rolls around, remember to plan ahead and to be patient with your pets as they adapt to the new time and schedule.  And don’t forget to get all those clocks changed!  Happy Spring!