I have to write this column fast. It will be dark soon. It seems I barely get out of bed before the sun is going down and 6 p.m. now feels like midnight. That’s right, last weekend marked the annual end of daylight saving time, the “fall back” which somehow makes 5 in the afternoon the most depressing time of day.

This is an issue which draws a sharp divide between early birds and night owls. As someone who routinely works until 5 a.m., I am firmly in the night owl camp. I prefer daylight saving time when it can still be light out until 8 p.m. in the summer. I even get a little sad when fall approaches and sunset creeps up to 5:30 or 6 p.m. I truly dread exacerbating the problem by deciding to take another hour away one weekend, resulting in darkness at 4:30 p.m. 

I was hopeful when, in March 2022, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)  re-introduced a proposed federal law called the Sunshine Protection Act which would make daylight saving time the permanent standard and would eliminate our yearly dance of spring forward and fall back. Finally, some federal legislation I can get behind. The U.S. Senate unanimously approved the bill, but, as it seems with all things in Congress, people couldn't agree and nothing happened. The proposal has become mired in committees and has not been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.

Then, there are the people who agree with the need for a permanent switch, but they want it to go the other way. These people are also opposed to springing forward and falling back but want to make standard time permanent and would like to do away with daylight saving time altogether. I suppose those people would be the early risers who are willing to sacrifice an hour of daylight at the end of the day in favor of not having to do farm work or get their kids up and off to school in the dark.

I am rarely in danger of getting up before the sun but I do understand the other point of view. I suppose it could be hard to start your day in the dark but I contend the trade off of having some daylight left after quitting time is worth it. Many businesses are also in favor of extra daylight after the working day, feeling it encourages people to stay out and go shopping.

Either way, it doesn't seem like the issue is going to be resolved any time soon so the only thing we can do is complain about how 7 p.m. now feels like 14 o'clock. I'm already looking forward to spring. 

Standard Managing Editor Seth Wright can be reached at (931) 473-2191