Since I Know It's on Everyone's Mind
Speaking of the winter months dragging on, I had a revelation either last night or the day before (I guess my lack of knowing when it happened makes it less than a revelation, or does the obscurity make it more of one?) on why winter sucks so much. We "fall back" on the clock in late October (the 27th this year). Now this is fairly close to the shortest day of the year (Dec. 21) and everyone knows that the shitty, short days are upon us during the winter anyway. Leading up to the new year and part of january, everyone is still taking it pretty much in stride. Come Feb. however, the shit hits the fan. No one can really deal with the fact that Spring and evening light are so far away. Everyone gets stir crazy and depressed. We "Spring Forward" in early April (the 7th this year). That's 15 weeks after the shortest day of the year. We spend 8 weeks running up to the shortest day, and 15 running away. It's like diving in the shallow end and walking out the deep end. No one in their right mind woud do it this way. Why not push the "Spring Forward" time to 8 weeks after the shortest day of the year (Feb. 21) or thereabouts? Since the convention was started to preserve gas, oil and the like during the World Wars and just got kept around, we can monkey with it as much as we like. And don't be fooled by the whole, "it's for the farmers" thing, they hate the time changes.
- posted by levinson @ 2/21/2002 01:48:00 PM