Daylight Savings Time

Wow, did I have a hard time getting up this morning for work. It didn't help that I had a 7:30 AM meeting to attend (virtually), but usually early meetings don't bother me. For some reason this years annual "springing ahead" caught me off-guard. Yes, I did my usual deal...set the clocks ahead Saturday afternoon to begin the transition, go to bed early, keep repeating the mantra, "it really IS 11:00 at night, and not 10:00", but still it was tough for me this year. I got up okay for church at 8:00 AM yesterday, but Monday morning was the killer. Maybe it is harder to acclimate at my age...nah, that can't be it.

I do appreciate the fact that now I am only going to work in the dark and not coming home in it as well, but I am still not sure I see the real value of Daylight Savings Time. Someone is getting the benefit, but it ain't me. My guess is that for the average American we only get the minimal benefits of an improved mood from the longer day (all psychological)...someone has to be benefiting in a more "tangible" (monetary) way or we wouldn't be continuing this tradition. Just the cost alone this year of the time we all had to take to readjust our Outlook Calendars to correct for an early change must be staggering.

I think I figured it out...it must be corporations that are benefitting...somehow they are selling us and servicing us more through all of this. I just learned from some colleagues that some retailers (like 7-eleven) really put a focus on this changing of the clocks and see a huge bump in sales. Golf courses benefit from those of us that "sneak" out to play a quick 9 or 18 before it gets dark. So when corporations asked Uncle Sam to move the transition date up 3 weeks for our benefit, who are they kidding? We are on to you!

Now how do we control our urge to spend more? Spring cleaning, home improvement projects, new golf clubs, BBQ equipment, new autos...where does it end?

Resist the urge to splurge until at least Memorial Day when it is "okay" to celebrate the coming of summer.

Well, I am off to go get the mower serviced for the spring...Doh! What am I thinking? I can put that off for a couple of weeks...

Chow!