Spring Ahead

Tonight is when we are supposed to set the clocks ahead one hour.  This is supposed to allow us to be more productive with additional afternoon sunlight.  For me it means, after being teased with radiant sunlight on my drive to work for about two weeks, I will now go back to making that trek in shadowy greyness.

I don’t need more light at the end of my long exhausting days, reminding me that I still have things to do.  I need brightness and the illusion of warmth to start my day and give me motivation to move as if I was not trying to keep time with a funeral dirge in my head.  I am perfectly happy with the way my lighted hours were distributed throughout my day today.  I enjoyed having my coffee without the coarse, flourescent light perforating my retinas this morning.  I felt I had been somewhat productive during the day as I watched the sun diffuse into the landscape this evening.  Tomorrow, those good feelings will be gone – nowhere to be found.

This practice (which I still haven’t come to terms with being moved from the first weekend in April) is supposed to bring about energy and thoughts of the newness of Spring – new growth, re-birth, starting fresh.  I don’t get any of that.  It’s like I’m held prisoner by this arbitrary act – which, by the way, is NOT practiced is Arizona!  (hmmm….maybe I need to move)  It’s all about perspective.

Perspective is the way we interpret and judge facts that are presented to us.  Our perspective is changed by internal and external factors, over which we may or may not have control.  Our temperament and personality, our upbringing and our environment all affect the way we view, accept and respond to ideas.  It’s pretty complex, and not something that easy to change, even if we want to.  But we can become aware of our perspective and where we may have blind spots.  If we don’t see any blind spots within ourselves, at least we can come to terms with the fact that our temperament, personality, upbringing and environment is not exactly like anyone elses, and, therefore, neither is our perspective.

Perhaps that is where the focus should lie on this night – not with the changing of the hour, but with our changing.  Use this arbitrary act of moving the hands of the clock to change your perspective on something.  Start a debate with someone, but choose the side you don’t agree with.  Next time that same person does that same thing to annoy you in the same way, don’t be bothered by it, choose to embrace the consistency.  Where our perspective starts from is not within our control, where we take it – how we broaden it – is our choice.

Don’t forget to change tonight, it could make all the difference.