They say that time passes and we can’t go back.

But we can.

Tonight we turn our clocks back one hour. When it comes to remembering in which direction we go, I rely on the old phrases. Spring forward. Fall back.

Like most everything else in this country, we disagree about the changing of the clocks for twice a year. TimeandDate.com reports that only 33 percent of Americans see a purpose or value in the movement of an hour. In fact two states, Arizona and Hawaii, march to the tick of their own clock and do not follow the daylight saving rule.

Of course, most of us like the extra hour of daylight in the spring and summer. More daylight keeps us outside longer enjoying the natural environment.

One of the other supposed benefits of springing forward was to save electrical energy, but that has proved to be false with our constant use of televisions, computers and video systems.

There are enough consequences to daylight saving time to support the argument against subtracting and then adding the time. Medical science contends that an hour forward or back suddenly disrupts our body clocks. Evidence is documented in the increase in automobile crashes and workplace injuries. Even suicides and miscarriages increase in numbers soon after we move the time back or forward.

In the fall, the hour of less daylight keeps us indoors longer and has been determined to cause depression due to the magnitude of darkness. Another interesting statistic is robberies increase by 7 percent in the darker months because thieves are less visible.

To be official about it, daylight saving begins at 2 a.m. Sunday. Well, who actually waits until that time to walk around the house and turn back their clocks? And why 2 a.m.? An earlier turnback of time could move us from one day back to another, from Sunday to Saturday, which would be too confusing. Also, there are many people who begin shift work at midnight so a time change at 2 a.m. would not affect their arrival hour.

Bars and taverns are affected by the turnback time as well. They are supposed to close at 2 a.m. at the latest, so a turn back would technically give patrons an extra hour to bend their elbows. Not so, says the law.

Establishments serving liquor must stay open no later than 1:59 a.m. so they cannot legally add another hour of imbibing.

Let’s get personal about daylight saving time.

What are you doing with your extra hour? I know when I look at the clock today and see 10 a.m., my mind will think 9 a.m. And tonight instead of 9 p.m., I’ll tell myself it’s only 8 a.m. More time to do what?

Popular choices begin with having or going to a daylight saving party.

If you go to one, you stay an hour longer and if you party too hard, you get that extra 60 minutes to sleep it off the next morning.

Sleep is another popular choice for millions of tired Americans, but our body clocks will most likely wake us up the usual time. The extra time is great for working on unfinished projects around the house or for spending more time with the family.

You might want to read a little more of that novel or start a new one. Catching up on recorded TV programs is another option or you can decide to do what most of us decide to do.

Nothing.

In fact near 50 percent of everyone in this country are not even aware of daylight saving time and won’t turn back their clocks unless or until someone reminds them to do so.

Sunday morning will bring these mishappenings. Workers will show up early for their jobs. Some will go to church service and find empty parking lots. Somebody will go to the bakery and will pound on the door, wondering why it isn’t open yet.

Of course, we can laugh at our negligence of daylight saving time, but in the spring we will arrive late to our jobs, late to church service and will discover their favorite doughnuts are all sold out.

Time does cheat us all. We get the extra hour now only to give it back in the spring.

I’m an outdoor guy so I’m not happy when the sky turns black at 5 o’clock.

I think I’ll go for a long walk this afternoon in the precious daylight singing the words of this song in the back of my head.

“I’m walking on sunshine and it’s time to feel good!”

Rich Strack can be reached at katehep11@gmail.com.