Saturday, October 26, 2013

making time

There is always at least one nudge in everyone's life.

You know him.  The guy who is always prepared to correct you that the twentieth century began on 1901, not 1900.  Or that "verbal contract"  is not necessarily the same thing as an "oral contract."  Or that it is "daylight saving time," not "daylight savings time."

You know him because he is right here talking to you.  Now and then.

I brought up daylight saving time because we are about to launch into our winter clock this weekend.  Early Sunday (27 October) morning -- 2 AM to be exact -- most of the citizens of the Republic of Mexico will move their clocks back one hour.  What was 2 AM will once again be 1 AM.

In the common parlance, we will "gain" one hour.  As if the government gods in their beneficence had conjured up extra time and deigned to award it to us.  Of course, in another six months, they will simply "tax" (or "steal," as we common folk say) it right back.

If I remember correctly, people north of the Rio Bravo will not do the time tango until the first Sunday in November. 

But this notice is not for you. It for my compatriots in Melaque and the surrounding area.  If you come to church at San Patricio by the Sea on Sunday morning using summer reckoning, just wait an hour.  The rest of us will show up.

And there will be no smug smiles of "we are more responsible with time" by anyone there.  After all,we are studying grace. 

Self-righteousness can just run its course using a different clock.


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