Days Like This

Well, Monday was, as they say, "a day."  To fully get the effect, one has to say "Monday was a day" in a voice that implies sarcasm, resignation and weariness all at one time.  It was the kind of day that leaves a cat, like Bree, exhausted to the point that she is sleeping where she is, but is not exactly in the most comfortable of positions (for a cat).  And, as far as the human goes, it was leaving me feeling paralyzed and incapable of doing even the tiniest of tasks.

So, I sat and looked at the cat while it slept.

Bree simply was not feeling well on Monday - and I had the mess near my office chair to clean up to prove it.  Hey, just because she's a cat, it doesn't mean she can't feel ill and get sick.  I think we tend to forget that our companion animals (and our farm animals) can also have good and bad days from both physical and mental standpoints.  Case in point, I got to deal with a (mostly) dead chicken in the hen room today.  Probably an accident from an attempt at flying.  This kind of thing happens - but that doesn't mean I like doing what I was forced to do at that point.

It seemed to me that people I interacted with today were also not their best selves.  Can this sort of thing be contagious?   I do know that one person can actually help change the mood of a group OR that one person could send everyone into a spiral.  So, I guess it shouldn't be a surprise if one issue might be compounded by other issues.

My observation for the day was that most people were falling back on their base tendencies more than usual - without checking themselves as they interacted with people who land on the other end of each spectrum.

The extroverts spoke quickly and often, inserting themselves into every silence.  Those who have task-oriented personalities were driving the agenda forward quickly, trying to get to the bottom of the list.  Those who had personalities that seek to avoid confrontation, might have felt the ripples of discontent, but they went along with everything because there was no desire to stand in the way of progress or those who felt moved to speak frequently.  And the introverts, who often wait patiently to be invited to speak and will not interrupt - even when they are supposed to be talking - decided they should fade into the woodwork.

The people who like straight lines were forging ahead while those who like to squiggle spun figure 8's and other loopy figures.  These two personality traits started at the same place, but I'm not sure they met at any point after that.

It was no one's fault in particular.  It just seemed like people were "off."  And I blame Daylight Savings Time for it all.  I even blame DST for the issues with the chickens and our Indoor Farm Supervisor (Bree). 

So, have you all given more consideration to some of my options regarding Daylight Savings?  After a day like this one, I'm more serious about getting rid of it than I usually am - and that's saying something. 

Hey, if you want more arguments - consider this offering by Northwestern Medicine that points to research that show an increase in heart attacks, strokes, injuries and fatal auto accidents, depressive episodes, and even colitis.

As I was considering all of this, I came across this item by Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.

I was, of course, a bit surprised that people think DST was something that was created to help the farmers.  If anything DST is a hindrance to farmers - especially if they farm like we have at the Genuine Faux Farm.  

You see, chickens, cows, and other farm critters take their clues from the rotation of the Earth, not the time on a clock.  Sun's up, so it's time to be doing.  Sun's down, so it's time to consider sleeping.  I've noticed the plants are much the same way.  The only thing that changes is the construct farmers have to deal with IF they have to interact with other human beings.  

You do realize that we suddenly have to change when some of our chores and other work falls in our day because we have to abide by the societal agreement that tells us when 4:30 pm is (for example).  Yeah - DST was NOT for the farmers, you can count on that.

And there you have it - my rant for the day, courtesy of Daylight Savings Time grumpiness.

Here's to a better day.