Let There Be Light

I don’t understand all the bitching that goes on around the time change. “We lose an hour!” Seriously? I’m sure it was time that would’ve been wasted anyway. “I’m screwed out of sleep!” Not if you go to bed early or grab a nap. “Why do we do this?” Take a look outside your window. Notice that the sun is still there and you are on your way home. Lovely, ain’t it?

If we were to abolish anything, let it be Standard Time. I never thought I would agree with anything Arizona did (childhood trauma caused by seeing colored rocks instead of lawn — which was no fun to play on — and the blasphemy of day-glo, lime-green fire engines), but the fact that they said, “Screw the rest of you, we are staying on Daylight Saving Time,” was somewhat impressive. And I think we all should consider following in their rebellious footsteps.

Even with them being “longer”, the days just move faster. I love looking at the clock and thinking, “Where did the time go?” Next thing you know, it’s quitting time and we can actually enjoy happy hour in broad daylight. How can there be anything wrong with that?

I’ve been told it was Benny Franklin who came up with the concept. He must’ve liked drinking in the daylight, too. Supposedly, he came up with the idea in Paris, so wine was surely involved...as it is with many good ideas, or good-ideas-at-the-time. This was back in 1784. However, a Londoner builder called William Willett wrote about the “Waste of Daylight” in 1907. This little pamphlet offered the crazy idea of waking up an hour earlier so as to not waste the daylight. Knowing how Brits love their pubs, and how my contractor stepfather loved his brews, no doubt a lager or many were involved in his writing. So, I’m sticking by my theory that people like to drink during the day and that’s really why we are doing this.

For a long time in the US, DST was used mostly during wartime, then some states did it and others didn’t, then it was brought back officially in the 70s (a law signed by Nixon, another avid imbiber) because it was supposed to help us conserve energy and prevent accidents. Now we’ve got cranky people saying that we actually use more energy and have more accidents during DST (and don’t you dare say that’s because of happy hour — responsible people walk there and take cabs back). Hhrmph.

So, why do we really “spring forward”? Who gives a toss? It’s after six peeyem and the Sun’s still out. And happy hour is still going for at least another hour. Drink up! Enjoy the sunshine while it lasts, because autumn comes too quickly, if you ask me. And I just might keep on Daylight Saving Time even after California “falls back”. Why not? For me, it’s always some version of Miller time, anyway.

Just Another Day in L.A.

Now that we have an extra hour of daylight, you have the chance to see some things that you normally wouldn’t...or shouldn’t.

Driving home the other night, I witnessed a huge, white van suddenly cut over from lane two to lane one of a major boulevard, nearly clipping the blue Bronco rightfully driving in that space. Rubber was laid as the Bronco’s brakes were applied. The van driver seemed oblivious, if not impaired. One would think such an abrupt lane change would be due to the need of an upcoming left turn. Nope. This was just a willy-nilly whim. The Bronco driver (a chick) was having none of it. Surely her insurance rates had flashed before her eyes. The Bronco betty pulled next to the van (also driven by a chick) and gave that white trash a piece of her mind before gunning it when the light changed and cutting off the van (and justifiably so). In response, the van driver (who had several leafy plants and a few dogs bopping about the interior), stuck her head out of the window and howled -- yes, howled -- at the Bronco.

Now I was driving behind the white van, and was less than happy. The van drove well below the speed limit and had yet to make a left turn (which would have justified her daft lane change). I finally had enough and zipped around her. At the next light, I watched the white van driver from my rearview mirror as she made out with her dog. Yes. Made out. With. Her. Dog. She had leaned over, wrapped her arm around the dog and began kissing it. I turned around to be sure of what I was seeing. Then, I threw up a little in my mouth at the sight. As I pulled away with the relief of the green light, she remained nuzzled with her canine companion, screwing up traffic. Lord only knows what she might be screwing later.

In other news more fit for print, I am officially a Buddhist. Don’t laugh. You can still be a complete A-Type personality and find your Buddha nature. Yes. You can. This is Los Angeles, not a Kyoto temple. We do the best we can.

I can’t say that I was Shakubuku’d proper (I have been studying and practicing Buddhism off and on for years), but, as they say: When the student is ready, she will share deep-fried cheesecake at Katana with someone who chants near her house. While I love Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and the Dalai Lama’s smile, quieting my mind and silent meditation just ain’t my thing. I needed to chant. So, I suppose the person who really gave me the Shakubuku was Angela Bassett/Tina Turner in “What’s Love Got To Do With It”. That was my introduction to Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. Wasn’t it yours? Anyhow, on January 8th (David Bowie’s birthday and the 6th anniversary of RUAWAKE), I did my first toso. At the end of February, I gave my first “experience”...and Courtney Love was there. Holla! And, last week, I received my Gohonzon. Now, I’m just Buddhaful.

In Los Angeles, each and every day is an adventure. You never know what you might see or who you might do...or vice versa.