"By the way, I made a mistake about Daylight Savings," I told my mother on the phone. "It's not this week. It's next week."

"I already changed some of the clocks," my mother said. "And I told all my friends they should change their clocks, too. They said they didn't know Daylight Savings was so soon. But I said Barbara told me."

No matter how much I try, Daylight Savings always manages to confuse me. I had thought this year would be different. But it wasn't. Except that, this year, in addition to confusing myself, I managed to confuse lots of others as well.

I was glad that I'd noticed the symbol of the clock on the Saturday March 24th front page of the International Herald Tribune. It was a reminder that Daylight Savings time would be starting the next day. I'm never prepared for the start of Daylight Savings. And every year, it seems to arrive sooner than ever.

Same thing this year. It's as cold out as if it's winter. It could even snow tomorrow. It seems far too early for Daylight Savings. In fact, I never expect it until some time in April. I forget that it can start in March. Good thing I'd noticed the clock in the paper. Now this year would be different. For once I wouldn't be surprised.

But Saturday, when I was on the phone with my mother, it occurred to me that she probably forgot that the time would be changing tomorrow. I'd better remind her. She's been getting a little more forgetful these days than she used to be.

"Remember to change your clock tomorrow," I said. "It's Daylight Savings." My mother was surprised to hear that Daylight Savings was so soon. I was glad that I'd told her. I hoped she would remember. There's no way to know what she'll remember and what she won't. I'd call and remind her again on Sunday.

Saturday evening, Chuck and I attended a concert at Grace Rainey Rogers. A tall business-like lady nodded hello to me and sat down alongside her companion. She mentioned loudly in my direction that she could no longer be sure what time it was because she was experiencing an eighteen hour time difference. Her companion laughed. Eighteen hours difference? Where could she have been? I wondered.

"What's eighteen hours away?" I asked. "Australia," she replied. We then chatted a bit about the time difference and the jet lag. "And I don't even know when Daylight Savings starts," the gentleman beside her admitted ruefully.

It's a good thing I do, I thought. "It's tomorrow," I informed them kindly. They seemed a little surprised about that and thanked me.

Next morning I slept late as usual. Sometime later, I remembered that it was Daylight Savings. But I wanted to be sure whether that meant it was an hour earlier or an hour later. I didn't want to be wrong. Fortunately, we have an easy way to check. The A&E sign, visible outside our living room window, posts the temperature and the time. The radio clock said 11:22. I'd glance outside to see if it was 10:22 or 12:22. I looked at the sign.

The sign said 11:22. That was odd. Had they neglected Daylight Savings?

I went to the hall to bring in the NY Times. I'd glance at the front page to see the direction the hands of the clock were going. But there wasn't any clock on the front page. That was strange. Could I have imagined the clock on Saturday's Herald Tribune? It was starting to seem odd that Daylight Savings hadn't been mentioned anywhere else. Usually, the media alerts us.

Curiously, I went into the den to forage through the stacks of Chuck's newspapers, strewn, as usual, all over the floor. I finally located Saturday's Herald Tribune. There, just as I remembered it, was the clock. Right on the front page. I noted that the hands of the clock were going forward. And for the first time, I read the caption under the clock. According to the caption, Daylight Savings was indeed starting today. In Europe.

"I think Daylight Savings starts next week," Jim observed as we were driving back from dinner.

"I told lots of people it started today," I said. Everyone laughed. "I saw the Daylight Savings clock on the front page of the International Herald Tribune yesterday."

"That's for Europe," Jitka said. "Daylight Savings begins a week earlier in Europe."

So I was glad that my mother is so forgetful. I was hoping that maybe she'd forgotten what I had told her. I didn't realize that she'd already begun to change her clocks. And had instructed her friends to do it, too. Would a group of little old ladies in the Five Towns be on European Daylight Savings Time a week before the rest of America because of me? I hoped not.

I was glad that I didn't know the couple at the concert. There was an excellent chance that I'd never ever see them again.

Well anyway, I thought. I'll look on the positive side. This year Daylight Savings won't be catching me unaware..

But then again, maybe it already has.

March 2001
BB