Mar 09 2009
Dear Mr. President: Re: Daylight Savings
Dear Mr. President,
I am a loyal supporter of you. I knocked on doors, made phone calls, and celebrated when you were elected. I thought about several issues that you could tackle, and a few you already have. I think the news and Washington D.C. forgot, in general about one thing we do in most of the 50 states, that can wreak havoc, and cause jet lag.
Every fall, in October, we have to “fall-back” our clocks. It is to save energy. There are questions about this, whether it saves energy or not. It certainly doesn’t save my energy. I have to dig out the minuscule instructions that came with my digital watch, to remember how to set it back. It throws us back an hour, and it causes our circadian rhythms to be off at least for a day and a half. The country complains about it for a week, and websites are made criticizing the general act, just the ACT, or setting the clocks back, and loosing or gaining an hour. Not to mention those who forget to set their clocks back or forward, and are either late or early to work, or to activities. It is certainly not a positive act.
Every spring, we must mark it on our calendars to set the clock up. Setting the clock up an hour, is not as difficult as setting it back an hour. We stay up till at least 11:00 p.m., thinking it’s 10:00 p.m., and wake up at 9:00 a.m., thinking it’s 10:00 a.m.Somewhere we gain an hour, but we loose an hour as well. We are tired and dragging for a whole day or more. Our bodies just don’t feel quite right, as I said earlier, jet lag. It can cause headaches, and fatigue, and a feeling of being off. It’s as if you fly to New York from Kansas City, and you’re an hour ahead of what you regularly are. Takes 3 days to get over it, or used to it.
Even our dogs and pets are effected. They beg for their food, not at the original 5:30p.m. but at 4:00p.m., and they don’t understand that it’s not 5:00 or 5:30.
I’m proposing that you look into eliminating Daylight Saving Time. My lights are on when I want them to be, and so are people I’ve talked with. The “Saving energy” myth is busy work. Look into Arizona, and parts of Canada that choose to not participate in this tradition. The traffic moves smoother, no complaints about time change, and people are in better moods.
That is my challenge to you, Mr. President.
Signed, Loyal supporter…
Great little letter. Never understood the whole concept. I overslept for an appointment this morning and I feel it was all due to the time change on Sunday morning!