2000-07-23 - 21:19 MDT

July 23, 2000

Nighters

Trying to find my way into my inner mechanism yet. I have always been thrilled even as child, traveling occasionally with Mom and Dad passing through these little towns where people were sleeping. Maybe it was an imaginary world for me to people it as I wished. There was something drawing me to night existence.

It wasn't necessarily riding downtown to see a movie after Dad got home from work, the movie I usually enjoyed, but the ride home on the old wooden street cars was best. We'd usually sit in the back because Dad smoked. Looking the length of the mostly empty street car I was fascinated by the front twisting one way and the back the opposite direction. I would shade my eyes and peer out of the car and see the darkened houses, thinking of the families snugly in their beds, it made me feel good. Far above the joy of staying up past my bedtime, moving about in the dark, moonlit world has always held magic for me.

In high school the days were school work - - - and sometimes we could get out at night and play arclight games or just - - - - what do they say now ? Schmooze ?

When I got old enough to work a job, I did. About the third job down the line I had the opportunity to work second shift - - the four pm to midnight stretch. Wow I was in heaven. Four pm until five pm we were under the eyes of our paranoid bosses. Then we had seven hours of peaceful work, and then turning it over to the third shifters.

Shift work was so much easier and simpler than day work which was crowded with people who complicated things and slowed work down. Night work was always done more productively per worker. The day people hated us because they had no way to out work us. Second shift was good for me, I could have breakfast with the kids, see them off to school and go back to bed for a bit. Summer vaction for the kids gave me the opportunity to play with them for a while.It was a bit hard to do business on second shift, but easier than for the people on first shift.

Then I went to work at a company which had a third shift - -- midnight to eight in the morning. I wanted third shift, but kept my mouth shut because I had heard others gripe about working through the night. About the time the manager figured I was cutting the mustard (who ever heard of a "mustard cutter ?) he asked me would I mind working third shift for a little while. I acquiesed and so went to the shift of heaven. The work was easier than on days and I could arrange my off time to suit myself, spend the morning in town, sleep mid way and get up and be with they family before going to work. Or I could sack out first thing and get a full sleep and go to the movies, etc., with the family. There was an infinite variation on my sleeping to accomodate the things I wanted to do. It was absolutely perfect

My body didn't seem to know what Circadian Rhythm was. As long as I had sufficient sleep, it didn't matter when. Also, I could be awakened, do something and go back to bed and right to sleep with out any problem. I never acknowledged that I preferred night work, and let management feel that I had been suckered into it. Even though in most places there was differential pay of a few cents an hour and slightly higher for third shifters, most people seemed to hate it with a purple passion.

At night, in nice weather I like to walk down to the Gazebo in the complex, sit and enjoy the peace and quiet, watching the moonlit clouds drift, and being calmed, go back in.

Work in the ice and snow, slush and gravel I hated. Having changed a few truck tires under icy conditions, shoveling snow sometimes all day and then going home at night to the same duty. Arrrrgh! But, remarkably I worked at one place where I would slip and skid to work and enjoy the ride through the sparkling wonder world of jewel like snow on my return. Going home by a seldom used route, I was often the first car through there, ahead of me a panorama of pure white, sparkling and glistening in my headlights. The moon in the western sky usually at that time of night helped to set a fairy tale stage. Yes, I liked that and try to forget the night I missed getting gas on the way to work and having to walk in ankle biting snow to get gas. I still liked it.

Both night and day were made for us and I used much of the peacful nights to get something done. In the silence of the night much of the world's work is done, without fanfare or recognition.

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