The DST Struggle is Real

I am a morning person. So why am I struggling so much with getting up in Daylight Savings Time?

I go to bed and fall asleep just fine, despite the time change. But getting up has been a struggle. And that is unusual for me. Since Monday, I’ve tried to hit the snooze button, but, because it is a button I never really use, I fail to give myself ten more minutes on the clock.

My first year in Colombia, the country experienced a drought. A number of policies were put into place to manage water resources. Since most of the electricity came from hydroelectric dams, electricity was rationed. For several months, we had only 12 hours of electricity a day. Each week we alternated between 6 am to 6 pm and 6 pm to 6 am. Additionally it was decided to implement Daylight Savings time for the first time ever. Colombia lies just above the equator, so daylight hours only vary about 30 minutes from one solstice to another.

Some people accepted the decision, some resisted, and some were confused. Many would ask “Old time or new time?” when you made an agreement about a time to meet. I think I finally understand this thinking. As I struggled to get up this morning, I thought My body thinks it’s 4:30 not 5:30. My body is living in old time, but my brain is living in new time.

Time travels

After showering and dressing Sunday morning, I strolled into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. As I reached for the pot, I groaned. It was only 5:30. I’d reset all the clocks the night before, but misread my bedside clock when I woke up. I was sure it had said 6;15.

Feeling tired Sunday afternoon, I got back into bed for an afternoon nap. I fell asleep right away, had a dream, and woke up refreshed. Imagine my surprise when I realized only 25 minutes had passed.

I was on top of things yesterday at school, with clocks still on old time. I sent kids to lunch and their next classes at the right time. And yet, as I neared the end of the day and looked at the clock, I did a double take. The clock read 4:45 and it felt odd to be at school so late with kids.

 

Springing Forward and Falling Back

Somewhere in the late 90’s my clock radio died and I had to get a new one. I purchased the replacement at Montgomery Wards and I was really excited about it. Although not that attractive, it had an amazing feature: a chip that automatically told the clock to Spring forward or Fall back as the season demanded. It was wonderful and I enjoyed this small luxury. Temporarily.

In 2007, a small but mighty amendment to the Uniform Time Act occurred. We changed the dates when the time changes. We would, from now on, Spring forward on the second Sunday of March  instead of on the first Sunday of April and Fall back  on the first Sunday in November, rather than on the last Sunday of October.

So now, I have to change the clocks four times a year. On the last Sunday in October, I have to Spring forward the one hour my awesome clock fell back at 2:00 a.m. Then a week later, I make it Fall back again, along with all the other clocks in the house. In the Spring, I reverse the process, falling back on the second Sunday in March, and then making the clock radio Spring forward along with all the other clocks on the house.

I could get a new clock and send this one to the Island of Misfit Toys, but that would mean admitting defeat. And by gum, I’ll not give in that easily.

 

 

Springing forward SOLSC 11

I’m enjoying the posts about the time change. I hate to admit it, but I had no trouble adapting this year. I set my clocks ahead in the early afternoon on Saturday, took my dogs for a walk & came home to the “new time”. Saturday night, I stayed up later than I would on a school night, but had a great sleep. But it has all had me thinking about Colombia’s first time change.

In the summer of 1991, I travelled to Medellin, Colombia to teach at the American School, there Much of Colombia was experiencing a drought, though Medellin and its environs were less impacted. Medellin, called the City of eternal spring, had excellent infrastructure (you could drink the tap water among other positives). It was a wonderful place to live and work and I ended up staying three years.

 In an effort to conserve energy, he federal government implemented several policies. For my first year there, we had only 12 hours of electricity a day. Each week we alternated between 6 am to 6 pm and 6 pm to 6 am. additionally it was decided to implement Daylight Savings time for the first time ever. Colombia lies just above the equator, so daylight hours only vary about 30 minutes from one solstice to another.

Some people accepted the decision, some resisted, and some were confused. Many would ask “Old time or new time?” when you made an agreement about a time to meet. Arrogant North Americans that we were we would argue trying to explain that it didn’t matter, just change the clock and go with it, but friends and coworkers sometimes couldn’t do it.

One problem I face is my alarm clock. It is about 15 years old and has a chip that automatically changes the clock. Alas, the chip changes the clock based on the dates we used prior to 2005 when revisions were made and  DST began on the second Sunday of March and ended on the first Sunday of November, from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October. So now, I have to change my clock 4 times a year.