It’s been a week of readjustment. For some, it’s the results of an era-defining election. For all, it’s the autumn ritual of turning back the clock on Daylight Saving Time.
It’s a practice I’ve hated for years. We all seem to agree the summer hours are best — right? — when you can drive home in daylight instead of darkness after a long workday. Why not keep ‘em year-round?
There’s even a bill in Congress to do just that. But like everything in Washington, it’s a victim of gridlock. Lawmakers can’t even agree to agree.
Our swing state neighbors in Arizona figured it out years ago, opting to neither “spring forward” nor “fall back” at all. Why doesn’t Nevada join them? Actually, our tourist-driven economy relies too much on California. The Golden State would have to do it first — and Californians can’t even decide on vegetables at a farmers market.
So, like many others this week, I chose not to lose my mind over things I can’t change. I’m embracing the winter hours, shifting from night owl to early riser. It’s morning in America again — or at least at Rob’s house, where I got up early this week to walk around a neighborhood park, put together some patio furniture I ordered online weeks ago, and bring my laptop to UnCommons to research pumpkin spice lattes.
The morning blast of sunshine felt best on Wednesday morning. I was up late on Election Night, watching the results, updating the newsletter, and squeezing in a couple hours of sleep before rising at 5:30 a.m. to make sure the information was still correct before it arrived in your inbox.
That’s when I took a moment to sit in the backyard, sip on some coffee, and decompress. As interim executive producer Layla Muhammad pointed out, absorbing sunlight first thing in the morning helps regulate our circadian clock — setting our bodies up for a productive workday and a night of deep sleep.
And I’m eager to rest easy.
