Resolutions for the New Year

It’s a little anticlimactic to watch the ball drop in New York on New Year’s Eve knowing it’s a rebroadcast from three hours earlier, and after you’ve seen all the fireworks go off hours earlier in Australia or Japan or London. I wish it turned 2019 at the same time everywhere. Having so many time zones is so confusing. Here’s a simple test: what time is it right now in Frankfurt? In India? In Japan? What did I tell you, confusing, huh? If it weren’t for smartphones and their apps, we wouldn’t be able to keep it all straight.

Here’s my solution: make it the same time everywhere in the world at the same time. Think how much easier driving cross-country or flying would be if you didn’t have to wonder what time zone you are in. And no more jet-lag because you wouldn’t lose or gain time. I still can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that I can board a flight in Frankfurt and arrive home in Portland before I left Frankfurt.

Right now, if it’s noon in Germany, it’s 3:00am here in Oregon. Under my everywhere-is-the-same-time system, noon in Germany would be noon in Oregon. In the example of Germany and Oregon, the workday in Germany would be 8:00am to 5:00pm. And the workday in Oregon would be 8:00am to 5:00pm. Our days maybe a little darker, is all.

But think of all the benefits: no more early morning or late-night calls to markets in other parts of the world, no more confusion on what time to skype someone in another country. I would no longer fail to reach customer service because I didn’t realize they were Eastern Standard and their workday was over by the time I called.

What does this have to do with New Year’s resolutions? Nothing that I can figure. But if my everywhere-is-the-same-time system doesn’t go viral this year, I still hope 2019 finds you enjoying the Lord and life more than ever. Thank you for reading my blogs this year. It’s been fun for me to write them.

revmar51@gmail.com