What time is it, anyway??
Sunday, Nov. 2 was the time switch, for those of you who might not be aware of this confusing bit of legislation. Out of curiosity, I checked the history of Daylight Savings Time (DST) and discovered some interesting bits of trivia on the subject.
It would seem that the custom began in Germany and Austria in 1917, during World War I and was picked up in the U.S. in 1918. However, President Woodrow Wilson discontinued DST, after the war was over, because it was so unpopular.
I'll bet! I can't imagine those hard-working, no-nonsense citizens, mostly farmers and laborers, putting up with such foolishness! They got up before dawn and worked past dark, no matter what--so why would they want the government to fool around with their clocks? When the rooster crowed, it was time to get out of bed!!
During World War II, President Roosevelt instituted year-round daylight savings time and called it "War Time." It lasted from Feb. 9, 1942 to Sept. 30, 1945.
The history of DST makes for chaotic reading. In the 1960's, there was a notorious 35-mile stretch of highway (route 2) between Moundsville, W.V. and Steubenville, Ohio, in which a bus driver and his passengers had to pass through seven time changes!
Even though the Uniform Time Act of 1966 standardized DST to some degree, it seems that the individual states still have the right to do as they please.
Several years ago, I met a person from Indiana who told me that each county in the state could make its own decision on whether to switch or not.
My friend JD confirms this oddity about Indiana, having lived there from 1955 to 1965. He says that every county was different. When the family went to ballgames or doctor's appointments, they had to make sure of the time zone, or they missed the event.
I admit that I like the "spring forward" option to Daylight Saving Time, but I'm a morning person. I've been getting up at 5 a.m. or earlier for more years than I can count. When I worked, I liked being up several hours before I had to leave the house.
However, the "Fall Back" option is NOT near and dear to my heart. Every year, it seems to get more difficult to adjust to the time change. It's dark now at five p.m. I don't like that. I want to go to bed at seven!! What kind of life is that?? I feel like a bear, going into hibernation.
Sometimes, I think the native population in Alaska had the right idea, living in harmony with nature and the seasons. They went by their own internal clocks, even when it conflicted with the white man's schedules. Made it a bit tricky to hold down a construction job, as I remember, but they were given leeway, as they were when they took off to go do the family fishing. Daylight Savings Time must seem ridiculous to them!
I suppose I'll get used to the time switch in a week or so, but just about the time I'm settled in, it'll be time to change again.
I just wonder--Where did 2014 go?
Comments
- -- Posted by Dexterite1 on Thu, Nov 6, 2014, at 5:43 AM
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