Good question. Most of the time it seems to be linked with either “Aren’t you scared to work third?” or “I would be too scared to work nights.” So, first of all, I am not afraid at night. I am constantly amazed at how many people are ruled by fear. The promise is, For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Now, back to the question of whether I like third shift. Sure. As long as I can sleep during the day! You see, I sleep all day and even if I wake up at 5 pm, I still have 5-7 hours before I go to work again. I like that. It feels like you have a life.
As far as this job is concerned, I like third shift best. I always have a variety of things to do, besides people. There is usually a time when there are very few people coming (as in periods of no activity on the road at all). During those times I head to the cooler and my favorite, outside.
It is really nice to get outside and wander around the lot. I especially like the cooler nights. It is awesome to watch the moon – we create such light pollution the moon is about all I can see. I love it when I go out and there is no activity at all. It is nice when it rains and awesome when it snows. Of course, I love snow so that is no surprise.
I find it most amazing when it warms up during the night. Yes, warms up. It surprises me every time. I come to work and it is kinda cool and then by 2 or 3 I realize, “It is warmer than when I got here.”
Now, after all this nice and quiet it is quite a shock when people start coming back in because they are up and heading to work!
So, it would seem that I like third shift because it is quiet, slower, offers me a variety of work to do and a chance to get outside. I can be alone and think about a lot of different things. Sometimes sing, sometimes write. There are also people that I talk to and a couple that have become my friends. I don’t consider myself a “people person” but there is God’s grace! A guy I was training noticed that people talk to me and said, “They tell you everything” after a woman I had never seen before or since shared with me rather personal relationship matters. And they do, because I care and notice them and inquire into how things are going for them. I have a few people who come by and hang around a while and we talk like old friends. I don’t mean to imply no one else here does this, I’m just writing about what I like about third shift.
But there is a downside.
The people. Just as there are people I like and minister to, there are people I do not like. I don’t even know them but I don’t like them. I’m nice and all that… Second shift gets angry people and I get weird people. And a lot of people on something. I have several regulars that I don’t think I have ever seen sober. Ever.
I have to count my drawer more than anyone else. When I arrive, at 5 for 'close of day', the other drawer whether I get on it or not (end of day paperwork), then when I get off.
I also have to count every cigarette in the house every night.
There is nobody awake at night, so if I have a problem I have to figure it out on my own. If I ever get robbed no one will know until the morning! I hurt my back one night in the cooler. I could barely get back up. It was 3 am and I had to wait for the next shift to come in because I knew no one would be awake to answer their phone! How bad? I wound up in the ER and was written out of work for three days.
Sleep is a big problem. We have “blacked out” our room and that helps a lot. It’s not as dark as I would make it, but it helps a lot. If not for that I would lay down and in an hour, two at the most, I would be wide awake. People ask me all the time, “How do you stay awake at night? Energy drinks?” I tell them I just try to get enough sleep. I do not drink those energy drinks.
The biggest problem and drawback to third shift is your days off. You really need two in a row because the first day is often a wasted day. You are never sure, Do I sleep all day, feel good but stay up all night? Or, Do I stay up all day and fall asleep about 7? Or, Do I sleep a couple of hours and hope to fall asleep around 10 or 11? I’ve done all three. The second day is a much more normal day. Even so, it is not unusual to wake up around 3 or 4 at night. What do you do then? I try to fall back asleep, but when that happens I am usually fully awake by 5. But I just get up, whether it is 3, 4 or 5, and take solace in this, I don’t have to go to work!
As you can see, the third shift person thinks about sleep all the time. You never seem to get enough and when you do sleep it is really sweet. Often my best sleep comes the day I go back to work. There have been several times when I didn’t sleep well Sunday and Monday and then slept most of Tuesday before going back to work! Oh well. And, your first night back is often the most difficult because you haven’t had enough sleep.
The deeper question is of course, Do you like working here? But that is another post. Let’s just say I feel like Moses in the desert. And I don’t mean I am another Moses! Just that I’m in a desert place. Maybe more like Israel in the wilderness. I just hope I haven’t already been to Kadeshbarnea!
Now it's late and I'm off to work!
No comments:
Post a Comment