SENSE AND NONSENSE

Mar 13/80 Sense and Nonsense

Shift-work has become a way of life for many people, as companies are now producing on an around-the-clock basis.

When the work schedule regularly encompasses the week-end, the employee sometimes finds himself in a different “time zone” from his family and friends. In a world largely dominated by the concept of a five-day work week, followed by the week-end, the “long shift” can be a trifle disconcerting. One shift-worker found a novel way of alleviating this disassociation from the “regular” world. He insisted on labelling his days off as “Saturday” and “Sunday” no matter what particular days they occurred on.

His wife was in a constant state of confusion as to what day of the week if really was! To complicate matters, their two sons were also on shift-work. The father and two boys all “swung” but on totally different shifts!

She solved her dilemma by finding herself a regular daytime job. A few weeks later she was in a happier but still slightly confused state of mind.

“Ever since I started working, I have noticed a peculiar thing,” she confided wonderingly. “Sunday always seems to occur on a Sunday!”

Some marriages seem to thrive on shift-work. The theory is that when the couple finally do get together in the same time zone, it is “like a honeymoon at! over again.”

A friend of ours has swung “nights” to her husband’s “days” for months. Recently she found herself on a week of the same shift as her co-breadwinner. I felt that congratulations were in order.

“It’s an opportunity to renew your romance!” I gushed.”Are you two like the happy couple in the song? You know, the one with the line that goes ‘…and I make his lunch and then he makes mine…”

There was a slight pause. “Yes … partly,” she answered. “I make his lunch – and then I make mine.”