Elections and Clocks

We’re on the eve of two events which I personally dread.

Within three weeks we will have a presidential election and will be coping with lots of dark hours I have problems with both things. It’s a given we will have a new president no matter how I vote or even if I don’t. I have given serious consideration to voting only for a vice president and leaving the presidential ballot blank. But such an action would only result in a personal token protest to the inevitable election of either of two presidential candidates for whom I can’t seem to muster any enthusiasm. Somehow I know I will be able to live with whichever new administration the majority of voters selects.

But it’s the other problem, the turning the clocks back one hour at the end of this month, that has me pondering a move which could put me at odds with those with whom I live and work. Yes pholks, I’m considering a bold move. I may not change any of my clocks. I will continue to live in daylight savings time until next spring when everyone else will spring forward.

It’s not that I’m afraid of the dark, or anything like that. No, it’s just that I see no good reason to give up a hour of light in the afternoon and evening. Sure, I know that we are entering back into “standard” time by giving up the extra daylight hour of “daylight savings” time. Yes, I know about the history of the time change and WWII and all that. I just think that having the extra light at the end of the day is a great thing. Winter months have shorter “daylight” hours anyhow so keeping daylight savings time is a keen idea.

Personally I don’t need the extra light in the morning at the expense of a shorter afternoon and evening. When I awake each morning it makes little difference how light it is outside. I have the light on in the bathroom when I shave, shower and perform all other necessary daily personal tasks. Breakfast and the morning news are not affected by the amount of light outside. If I walk the dog at 6 a.m. she doesn’t care if it is dark or light. A job is a job.

I admit that it wouldn’t be easy to buck the tide of the masses living on one time schedule and me one hour off. I can see the hazards of being a hour late for a scheduled sales appointment but I would hope that some potential clients would cut me little slack once I explained my protest. I would explain it something like this: “I know I’m an hour late but I operate on daylight savings time. I won’t give up that hour of daylight just because everyone else does. I’m my own person.  I think you should show your individuality and buy from me and stay on daylight savings. Lots of your customers would admire your independence and buy from you.”

Trying to order a late breakfast, say at 9:30 a.m. my time, when the cafe halts breakfast at 10 a.m. .(by their time) and arguing that I run on my own clock. Getting chased from the cafe by a cook wielding a spatula or a waitress with a sharp pencil likely would be my lot.

Going an hour late to a doctor’s appointment might work out fine since I would probably have to wait less time, but that’s taking a chance.

Anyhow, I may give it a try if I can convince my wife. Since she often complains that I don’t do my chores and such on time and generally run late, I think she should be able to live with my protest, at least until springtime.
So I probably will cast my vote only for the vice president and urge others to do the same. I don’t expect to have a large impact this time around, but it will be a start. And, we’ll see how far I get on my time thing. Heck, pholks, maybe others will “see the light” a little longer like I plan to and push for the retention of daylight savings time year around.

They say time waits for no one, but what’s an hour between friends?