Veto springing forward

This morning, the sun was up over the mountains to the east when we walked home from taking Jonathan to school. The frost was melting, and I could tell the day would be warm. Relatively.

Now, as I write, the sun has set and the light is dimming. Jonathan knows it is nearly bedtime. The day is ramping down.

But this is all about to change.

Monday, we will deliver Jonathan to school long before the sun rises. It will be cold and dark. And then later at night, we will attempt to put him to bed while the sun is still high in the sky, and he will undoubtedly protest.

I protest, too.

I hate daylight saving time. I declare that mornings are more important than evenings, and morning sunlight is more important than evening sunlight. And even more important than sunlight is sleep. This Sunday, all the residents of 48 states will be losing a full hour of sleep. Hello! An hour of sleep here! I don't want to lose that sleep. So I hereby protest.

I actually don't mind the fall time change at all, when we get to sleep in another hour. If we must change the time with the seasons, I think we should always fall back. Always. After a long winter, we could all use that extra hour of sleep. And then we'd get even more morning sunlight. I would have no problem getting up for my early morning writing.

At least for about a week.

And this scheme has the added benefit that after a few years of its implementation, the night workers get sunlight, too, adding to their job satisfaction. Maybe more people would be willing to try working other hours besides 9 to 5, thereby reducing traffic congestion, which in turn would cut the number of automobile accidents, slash greenhouse gases, and prevent global warming.

For a few years those who actually need sunlight to do their job, like farmers, will get annoyed with going to afternoon PTA meetings in the middle of the dark. But they can be happy knowing we'll cycle back around.

And delivery companies will love it.

Probably, after just a couple years of falling back in the fall and the spring, there will be so much consumer satisfaction that we'll add extra hours of sleep in the summer and winter as well. And then each month of the year. And maybe within our lifetimes we'll get fall-back-Fridays. An extra hour of free sleep every single week.

I am totally sold on this idea. I think I'll start implementing it in my own life starting April 1st.

What do you think?