Yeah, I used to get all huffy about Daylight Savings Time. Who is my government to tell me that I need to set my clock forward an hour? I mean, maybe I was gonna cure cancer during that extra hour. Or maybe rewatch this week's episode of 60 Minutes. It's just all, you know, inconvenient, and stuff. And in this hectic world, it’s hard to get behind an idea that’s going to cost you an hour of sleep. But it is a fact that the days get longer and it’s a pretty cool idea to move the clock ahead so we don’t just sleep through that extra daylight. Maybe I’m getting less cynical in my old age but I don’t really have a problem with Daylight Savings Time any more.
I do know that introducing the concept of DST today would never happen. “My esteemed colleague from New York thinks we should wave a magic wand every six months and (wiggling fingers mysteriously) moooove tiiiiiime.” (Condescending laughter from the other Congressmen.) “Clearly my colleague has been watching too much TV like the ‘Lost Anatomy’ and ‘Desperate Heroes’.” DST is one of those “ask what you can do for your country” ideas that don’t translate to votes these days.
There are many who argue that this concept is antiquated and was just some agrarian idea to get the harvests in on time or save electricity during the war. Which war? You know, the one where they needed all the electricity. I bet if that Leno fella did one of his walk-around-the-city-with-a-microphone deals, most people would say that DST was invented by Benjamin Franklin. Except for that one clueless guy who would probably guess that it was Clay Aiken or maybe Gandalf. According to the factually infallible Wikipedia, it was actually William Willet, an outdoorsy type who thought people were wasting daylight. Well, mission semi-accomplished Mr. Willet. Today I read the paper, went to church, went out to lunch with the family, and then napped until it was dark. You got me up early. You tried your best.
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