By Rosie Moore
No- not DDT, the bug killer, but DST, the time killer. Why do the “powers that be” have to mess with our time? Now I’ve read that they want to instigate DST all year. Oh, no! Way back in 1895 Mr. George Vernon Hudson, lay in his bed one night and devised a plan of turning the time forward and backward because he was disgusted he had to quit playing golf because it got dark out. I was surprised that it went that far back, but it was not implemented till April 30, 1916 by Germany and Austria-Hungary during World War 1 to as a way to conserve coal in wartime.
The practice has been both advocated and criticized. It benefits sports, retailing, and other activities that exploit sunlight after working hours. It can also cause problems for evening entertainment and other activities tied to the sun, such as farming, or to darkness, such as firework shows. Other problems caused by DST are complications with time-keeping. It can disrupt meetings, travel, billing, record keeping, medical devices, heavy equipment, and sleep patterns. The practice was abandoned after the war by various countries but was put to use by the United States during the 1970’s as a result of the energy crisis then. It has caused controversy since it began. Winston Churchill argued that it “enlarges the opportunities for the pursuit of health and happiness among the millions of people who live in this country.” I agree with that 100%. Perhaps the “powers that be” will reconsider messing with our time.
When I was lying in bed one night I got a brilliant idea (like Mr. Hudson!) how to make time seem to go slower. Let’s make our days three days long instead of one day. We could have three days of Thanksgiving and Christmas, (but no extra gifts). Three Mondays, three Tuesdays, etc. Would that make time seem to go slower? Probably not. It’s not only us older folks that think time goes fast.
My granddaughter told me her son is going to be five this month. My mouth flew open, I could hardly believe it. I said, “But he was just born a few weeks ago!”
She said, “Yes, I know. It’s so sad.”
So, not everyone can seem to keep up with time, it goes fast for everyone. But, remember when you were young, how time seemed to go so slowly, especially when you were waiting for a particular event, like Christmas or your birthday? Ah, but those times are long gone. Time marches on regardless how fast or slow we think it is.
An added note: I didn’t mean to imply in my column about Saint Patrick’s Day, that all Irish people are red-headed or hot-tempered. My apologies to my Irish readers.
Thought for the day: Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter. Mark Twain
Send comments to rosemerrie@att.net or call (865)748-4717. Thank you.
