I Still Can't Get Used to Daylight Saving Time Ending

At this very moment, as I write this (at 3:11 PM), I know that darkness will fall in just about an hour and a half.

Here's where you can imagine my heavy sigh because I just did one.

Yes, I know it's the same song every single year and we all sing it. All of us. "I just can't get used to it getting dark so early." But we really should, shouldn't we? It's been a federal law, literally, my entire life.

THE UNIFORM TIME ACT

By 1966 (the year I was born), millions of Americans were already observing Daylight Saving Time based primarily on custom or local laws. It was IN that year that the Uniform Time Act was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson and it stated that Daylight Saving Time would begin in late April and end in late October.

Somewhere along the way, the front end was pushed up into early March and the back end was pushed back into early November.

THE MANIPULATION OF TIME

It's that seemingly cavalier manipulation of time that makes me wonder why we can't just get rid of it altogether. And since the usage of DST was fairly inconsistent before LBJ put his John Hancock on the requisite papers, it almost feels like it's not really taken that seriously.

OPTING OUT OF DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME

Currently, Hawaii and parts of Arizona are the only U.S. states that do not observe Daylight Saving Time. So a state COULD opt out if it wanted unless I miss my guess. It is a question that comes up every year and several states HAVE enacted legislation or passed resolutions that would keep Daylight Saving Time year-round.

If that were to happen, then we would get sunsets no later than 5:30 and that would be totally doable.

Alas, 4:30 will have to be doable for the foreseeable future. I can hear the exchange now: "Who turned off the lights?" "No one, it's simply the middle of the afternoon."

Cue the eye roll emoji.

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