We live and die by the clock. Anytime a baby is born they mark time of birth on the birth certificate. It’s the same way when we die. “Time of death.” So what are we doing changing the clock around during the Spring and Fall? If only to have an extra hour to mow the grass in the afternoons.
I like most of the effects of Daylight Saving Time. I like having daylight at 7PM. It seems to much more normal compared to the unearthly dusk at 4PM during November. Still it is difficult to change circadian rhythms when there’s a time change.
My Windows 2000 machine didn’t even flinch when we did that time warp last night. No message saying “Your clock settings have been changed due to Day Light Saving Time.” None of that. Just kept the same time plus an hour. Windows 95 and 98 appear to nag you. Giving you information you may not need. Just to click that Ok button.
Many cultures aren’t so time oriented. I’ve heard church services in Hawaii and Brazil don’t start until 30 minutes after the scheduled time because everyone is always late. When someone in El Salvador says “Tomorrow” it could mean 6 weeks from now instead of the next day. It’s only in this high paced society where everyone has to be everywhere at a certain time. Here in the South is a bit more flexible than the North, especially in the rural south.
How did we become so time sensitive? Time is the great equalizer. Timed achivement tests. 30 minute sitcoms. 2 hour movies. 60 seconds or less at the McDonald’s Drive Thru. Makes everyone equal with the same expectations.