On a beautiful spring morning
in Houston, I was sitting in a classroom at Rice University
trying to keep awake for an 8 a.m. French class. The professor,
a very kind (and to me, very old) man, was lamenting the
time change—the yearly Daylight Savings Time had
come the day before. While the clocks did indeed read
8 a.m., our bodies knew it was really only 7 a.m. The
professor, also an avid and expert gardener, said, “It
takes me three months every year to adjust to the time
change.”
Young and arrogant as I was,
I found the comment ludicrous. I knew I’d be back
to normal quickly and appreciated the longer light in
the coming evenings.
Well, I’m no longer young,
and a lot less arrogant. I, too, now find the switch disconcerting.
It takes me a lot longer to believe the clock when my
body says differently. I have a feeling that my gardening
professor found it such a struggle because he preferred
to stroll in his garden and pull a few weeds and greet
the morning that way—but with the switch, and with
8 a.m. classes, he could not enjoy that gentle way to
begin his day.
And this year, in accordance
with the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Pub. L. no. 109-58,
119 Stat 594 (2005), Daylight Savings Time starts earlier
and ends later. Yes, this Sunday, March 11, 2:00 a.m.
will magically, by government fiat, become 3:00 a.m. and
will stay that way until Sunday, November 4 when the magic
is reversed.
This Sunday, those who generally
attend early services at various churches will discover
the graces of late services. Many regular attenders might
not make it at all—they will have either forgotten
to set their clocks forward or just rolled over for the
extra sleep. This Sunday, in my opinion, we will undergo
a national case of jet lag. Yes, most have a day to recover—except
for clergy, church musicians and child-care workers and
the wonderful cadre of devoted folks who know the importance
of weekly worship, no matter what. But even those who
take that day off still will find some drag come Monday.
Our bodies simply know better. For years, I was appalled
at the stupidity of school systems that scheduled vital
assessment tests the week immediately after the spring
time change. Many children and adolescents have a hard
enough time getting up in the mornings anyway without
the time change—to schedule tests that would affect
future educational decisions during that week made no
sense to me. But I was the lone voice in the wilderness
on such things.
So, now, I just change my clocks
early on Saturday, know that I will indeed adjust, and
also know that longer light in the evenings should be
savored and enjoyed. Since this time change does seem
to lessen energy use, I’m also grateful for such
an effect. Just don’t forget: This Sunday, March
11, at 2:00 a.m., the magic happens and the clock changes.
Let’s all get to church anyway!
