Roy’s Ramblings

Spring is just around the corner – less than a dozen days away. Many think I know this by the flowers starting to bloom … the trees starting to bud … the deer and turkeys in my back yard are getting more … uh … active. But, there is something more … something that happens every year that signals SPRING!!! Nope, not the groundhog – nope, not the weather – nope, not even the tourist activity around town (even though these are all great indicators as well). It is … Daylight Saving Time!!!! Yes, it is time to “Spring Forward”, time to lose an hour of sleep, time to set those clocks, time to miss church by an hour. All of the things that are related to this silly throwback to train schedules and World Wars.

Daylight Saving Time was originally instituted to save energy; but, according to a CNN report:

Why the US Kept Daylight Saving

Studies over the last 25 years have shown the one-hour change disrupts body rhythms tuned to Earth’s rotation, adding fuel to the debate over whether having Daylight Saving Time in any form is a good idea.

The issue is that for every argument there is a counterargument. There are studies, for example, that show we have more car accidents when people lose an extra hour of sleep. There are also studies that show robberies decline when there is an extra hour of sunlight at the end of the day. We also know that people suffer more heart attacks at the start of Daylight Saving Time. But what about our mental health? People seem to be happier when there is an extra hour of daylight. Of course, there’s the economy, which pays for all that outdoor fun in the sun. Although saving energy was often put out as a reason to have Daylight Saving Time, the energy saved isn’t much — if anything at all.

So, with this all said … er uh … written – I will end with this: Set your clocks, don’t be late to church, enjoy the flowers, and the trees, and the sunny warm weather. Get outside and play in the dirt and enjoy the change of seasons; regardless of whether or not you like or don’t like DST.

Blessings My Friends – Pastor Roy