Daylight saving time begins and I celebrate it and suffer from this collective jet lag

I was always a big fan of changing clocks twice a year. I voted to keep it in California (the opposing side won but we are still doing it!). I know the statistic and logically understand why this anachronistim is bad for people in general - from cardiovascular risks to disrupted daily routines and increased level of stress. But it is a part of how I see my year unfold. 

This year though the switch to daylight savings time feels like a collective jet lag. I searched in vain where I recently read about jet lag being caused by soul not being able to flight as fast as airplanes and hence needing extra time to catch-up to the body (was is the snail book?). On the day when we adjusted all the clocks in the house (see below) I read Wendell Berry's essays about relationships between nature and humans and his thoughts on what a good life is. He writes about the jet lag: "I felt present in my body but not in my mind .... as though my mind was still somewhere in the sky over the North Atlantic, hurrying to catch up". So this year as my mind is catching up to my body I am thinking about changing my mind on the whole "summer time" as it is known in Europe.

But on the other hand I will have more light during evening walks. It is a signal to plant new flowers and clear signs of winter from my tiny garden. This switch reminds me to start finding time to go outside during a tea/snack time and I begin dreaming about strawberry season. And in the fall the time change means beginning of a baking season and wintering plans. So perhaps this whole rant will be forgotten tomorrow :)

No comments:

Post a Comment