More Sun, you say??

I love summer.  Being one of those people who tend to have less energy when it's dark and gloomy out, I look forward to every drop of usable sunlight. But I never quite got the reasoning behind why every Spring we're called on to turn our clocks forward. 

I'm a city gal who comes from a agricultural background. As a small child I learned that caring for animals and plants is a matter of working with nature. You rise with the sun and go to sleep by the sun. It allows us to follow a predictable rhythm. Clocks really don't have much to do with the process, other than giving us a frame of reference.

Juggling times never made much sense to me. I've never known a cow, chicken or tomato plant that could tell time. But, that being said, it is, indeed, a lot easier to tell someone "I'll meet you at 6pm" than it is to say "I'll meet you when dinner is ready."  Do we gain an extra hour of daylight when we turn our clocks forward tonight at 2am? 

I don't think so. The sun will go on about it's merry way as usual.  Days have been getting longer since the Autumnal Equinox last September 22, and will start getting longer on March 20th this year. We see the least amount of sun light on December 21st and will enjoy the most amount of sun on June That's the same timing that nature has held – more or less – since long before clocks came into existence. It all has to do with the rotation of the earth on its axis.

What happens tomorrow?  My body will respond to the Sun's rhythm. I'll wake up and discover that … oh my!  I'll be an hour late for my first appointment. And I'll be hurrying to catch up until I can get myself in sync with the clock.  

Why do I go through this every year? Is there a real benefit? I know, based on my agrarian background that it doesn't help me stay on track with Mother Nature. And I know from experience, watching the cost of living bills I pay each year, that it doesn't save me any money.  So what's the point?

I started looking around and came across the first logical explanation for maintaining this practice.  I came across Rachel Maddow's show. And, finally, it makes perfect sense. (Rachel Maddow is one of my favorite news reporters. She asks the tough questions and digs for answers. Her research on political issues is outstanding. But she also looks at other life events. Her reporting taps into the questions that too often are accepted on faith because "that's the way it is". She reports the answers in a fun, comprehensive way.)

Rachel, finally, has made it clear. There is a reason for pushing our clocks ahead tomorrow. It isn't what we might think.  If you're interested check out:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/vp/35846288#35846288

In any event, I'll change my clock tonight. I suggest you do too, so you can stay in step with local practices. And, I'll enjoy the increasing hours of sunlight regardless what time the clock tells me it is.