Dear Austin’s Acre,
I live on the east coast. I want to call my sister on the telephone. She lives in Indianapolis. We just changed our clocks this past weekend and now I’m unsure about the time difference. Are we on the same time as the Crossroads of America? She likes to sleep in and I don’t want to wake her.
Confused in Concord.
Dear Confused,
Good News! Even as I write, there is a bill before the Indiana State Senate that would make this great state a part of the Daylight Savings (DST) phenom that has swept this nation.
My research (Google) shows that Daylight Savings began as a German World War I effort to save fuel and resources. So in 1916, Germany and Austria started this entire issue. Of course, other countries quickly followed and the United States passed a law, enacting DST. But DST was so unpopular in the United States, the law was repealed in 1918.
Thankfully, President Rosevelt brought it back in World War II. However, in a thoughtless move, he called it War Time (a terrible name that was certain to doom the entire concept).
The history of DST is long and complicated but over the past five decades the idea has been enacted, repealed, and changed more times than the clocks themselves. So it is no wonder you are confused about the time difference. And so back to your question…
You asked about calling your sister…here’s my advice. Don’t. Don’t call her. Let HER call YOU. Let your sister spend the dime. Or better yet, send a letter. Try email. What is so important that you can’t wait an hour or two anyway?
Bottom Line: Don’t let the State of Indiana drive the two of you apart. Your relationship with your family is too important to allow this to happen. Write your congressman. Heck, write my congressman. DST isn’t worth that!
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