For the last 20-plus years, I watched the world move an hour back and forth around me. I was in Arizona, which doesn’t observe Daylight Savings Time. If you were the changing tide, I was a soggy old tree stump stubbornly anchored in the sand.
Today, though, from my new Chicago base camp, I shifted along with the rest of my new BFFs in the Central Time Zone. Whee!
Forget the physical changing of the clock (which is a minor but legitimate pain, BTW). For real, I was having conversations with people about what the time change actually means.
So, wait, we start later and get an hour less of daylight—but that’s OK because the days are longer anyway? (Update: Turns out we shift to get an hour MORE of daylight.)
Hmm, I wonder whether my phone alarm will automatically adjust the time overnight. Oh wait, it’s Sunday, so never mind about the alarm. (Update: My phone DID adjust overnight!)
Why does anybody change times?
You got me there. I googled it and found articles like “The Strange and Surprising History of Daylight Saving Time” and “Love it or hate it, here comes Daylight Saving Time.” Benjamin Franklin was involved somehow. It’s all quite fascinating. You can look up the history of DST if you like.
Perhaps more interesting, why doesn’t Arizona change times?
As a longtime resident of the Copper State, I feel I should know this answer. But I do not. I found much discussion online about energy savings and human productivity and desert weather. Whatevs. All I know is I never had to worry about resetting the clock on my microwave.
Until now.
Does your life change with the changing time?
I mean, should your life change? Does anybody use Daylight Savings Time as a transformative kick in the pants, like people use New Year’s or a milestone birthday? Meet some new people. Call a loved one. Spend more time with the kids. Volunteer. Donate.
I’m going to try to make a meaningful shift.
Most days I run, I commute, I work, I commute, I love on my family. Repeat. With an hour more of daylight for the next eight months, I want to be more mindful of how I’m spending the time that I’m given. (Note: I originally said we got an hour less of daylight. Oops.)
What kinds of things can I do differently to supply more substance to myself and others?
Don’t float through life like the changing tide. For that matter, don’t dig into the sand like a soggy old tree stump. Go do some serious shifting.
Matt Morgan’s Blog for Running and Life - @gomattmorgan 
No Matt, you get an hour MORE daylight now at the end of the day. For instance, if it was dark yesterday evening @ 7:30, tonight it won’t be dark until 8:30. Having lived a little more than 1/2 my life in the Midwest and nearly 20 years in AZ, I think you just adapt (“When in Rome…”) for those of us living in the chilly Midwest, daylight saving time is a harbinger of Spring, a sign that warm weather can’t be far behind. Embrace it!
Thanks for the clarification, Betsy! I suppose we lose an hour only on the day we spring forward, and that sets us up for eight months of more (hopefully productive) daylight hours. Good to hear from you!