I look at the inky blackness as my daughter stumbles out of bed, flips on the fan, ready to shower. When I was in seventh grade, the energy crisis started raising its ugly head. We stayed on daylight savings time, to give us more light in the evening.
The network news showed kids waiting for the bus in the pitch dark, with the artificial light of the camera highlighting their faces. Was saving energy worth our kids' lives? Should they be waiting for the bus in the dark? What about the kids that walked to school?
Why don't they just start school later in the day? My school started at eight AM. The sun commenced to shed light at that hour, as I tumbled down the hill to the back door of the school. I'm sure the bus riders had to load the bus in the dark, but then they could sleep. Katie did when she rode the bus. She preferred that over being late.
The bus here is a little later than when my girls rode it. I believe it rumbles by around six fifty. Today that is still very dark, I see no outline of the trees. Eighth grade and high school begin at seven thirty. Some kids go in earlier than that for Chambers and other specials. Last year, I chuckled at the teens straggling into the main entrance with travel mugs clutched in their hands. I was bleary eyed as well.
I thought last night, as I returned from Band Boosters meeting, how just a month ago, with light, we would have done something before eight in the evening. I quick changed into pajamas and craved a cup of tea. It wasn't even cold, yet. And we're still on day light savings time. Oh, when the night descends earlier how much I cocoon then.
No comments:
Post a Comment