This site is dedicated to shift workers.  It was conceived by me, Pencil.  I started doing shift work in 1976 when I went to work for a small chemical plant on the east-side of Houston Texas.  Over the years I have watched many workers be both blessed and cursed by the schedules we must adapt too.   I can’t count how many times family or friends have ask me how I do it. Generally they follow up the question by saying ‘you must just get use to it’. In my case, I’ve never gotten use to it. I have learned to except it. If I have any good advise to give, it would be to count the blessings. They might just make it all worth it.

I’m blessed by a wonderful wife who is my joy and best friend. I’m blessed by two fine sons whom I am very proud of.  And I’m blessed by their wives who bring me joy as the daughters I always wanted. The six grandchildren are the icing on the cake! For thirty one years now, this shift work job with all the holidays away from home, cold nights away from my wife, ball games my sons played without me,  and missed family reunions has supported me and my family pretty well.

Although I have only worked shift work as a chemical operator,  I have no doubt that the hundreds of other occupations out there that must endure straight or rotating shifts deal with many of the same things chemical operators do.  I’m looking fowarded to sharing some of the stories I’ve collected over the years.  I admit up front I’m a poor writer.  They say practice makes prefect (in my case maybe just better). 

Keep checking back often.  I hope to pick up some contributors very soon.

Pencil