The Return of the Light

Morning Sun, a Creative Commons image by Conal Gallagher.

The weekend that just passed here in Canada saw the end of Daylight Savings Time.

There were protests. There was mourning. There was despair. There were pictures taken at 5:27 p.m. showing just how dark it was.

I guess I’m weird, because, for me, this time change brought more light into my life.

I run at 6:00 a.m. and, up until last week, I was running in the pitch dark. A little earlier in the season, the sky would go grey, and the air would get a kind of graininess toward the end of my run, but for the last several weeks, nothing. Just me, wearing a flashing red light on a band around my waist, and a couple of reflective slap bracelets.

For a while I could run out through the city streets and, at the far end of my run, there would be just enough light for me to head down to the river and work my way back along the bank without complete fear of being chopped up by an axe murderer (don’t ask me why I’m convinced axe murderers hang out along the riverbank instead of in quiet city streets – it’s probably a false assumption, but there it is).

Recently, though, my runs were all dark, all streets, all streetlights, no sun.

Until this week. This morning when I left home the night was already lifting. I could probably have gone straight to the river, if I was feeling plucky.

Instead, I gave the axe murderers a few extra minutes to pack up and go home, and I ran down to the river at about the 4K mark in my run; when it was really quite bright.

In fact, as I ran through the underpass that tunnels under the Ottawa River Parkway, and emerged on the other side to face the river, I couldn’t believe how wide open, and light, and beautiful it was.

I don’t despair about the loss of light. There is light – it’s just a matter of when you go to find it.

Also, we’re only six-and-a-bit weeks away from the shortest day of the year. Which means, after that, the days start lengthening again. Cool …

The thing is, though, I don’t think it’s cool for me to say I don’t mind the end of Daylight Savings Time. It puts me out of step with accepted wisdom. People think I’m being a Pollyanna, or that I’m in denial, or that I’m just plain annoying.

But it’s true. It’s the way I feel. It’s life as I know it.

There are other things I do / feel / think that aren’t very popular to state out loud. So, I generally try not to state them. Although I’m about to write them in my blog so … good thing not that many people read this blog!

Here’s my list:

– I genuinely love exercise.

– I actually don’t particularly enjoy cheesecake. Or donuts. And I actively dislike coffee.

– I don’t have an international travel bug / wanderlust / whatever you want to call it.

– I don’t think we need a bigger house / ensuite bathroom / main floor laundry room.

– I quite like winter.

– I think Mondays are just fine.

There are more, but you get the picture. I often feel like saying these things earns me sideways glances; like I’m breaking a code – “We all must hate Mondays,” “We all must dread exercise,” etc.

I don’t think I can possibly be alone, though. I think there must be more people out there who secretly like ironing, or hanging out with your mother-in-law, or other things you’re just not supposed to like.

Come on – spill! Who are you, and what’s your guilty-because-it’s-too-virtuous pleasure?

I call bagsy on the end of Daylight Savings.