Liberal Forum

impartialobserver » 22 Jun 2022, 4:30 pm » wrote: ↑

22 Jun 2022, 4:30 pm

That may be so. I was in my early 20's and was just happy to have a job that helped me pay child support and still make an ok living. Those were some long days/nights. And if there were any production mishaps.. you stayed until you were back on schedule.

In my youth, I worked the oil patch. You worked hurt, you worked sore, you worked tired, you worked hard as a mother ****. I once did a double tour - that's 24 hours straight, - tripping pipe the entire time. We were using hydrochloric in the drilling fluid and the mud-catcher was worn to nothing, so a fine mist of HCL permeated the air, got on my pants and on the lip of my boot, and wore aginst my skin so that I had a couple of third degree acid burns the size of silver dollars by the end of my second tour. 

I ain't bragging or complaining - well, okay. maybe bragging a little. But if I could go back and whisper in that 21 year old's ear, I'd probably tell him to wise the **** up. Probably - lol. Probably not - lol!

Thing is, I was raised on oil field stories. I just didnt have "fold" in my vocbulary. Men work hurt - that was my understanding and my social contract. At the time, it always confused me that women would get mad when you came back from a hitch injured, and they found out you had worked hurt. I felt they should respect that. Instead, they got all pissy about it. I just chalked it up to women not having any sense. Now I understand that they were the ones with sense.   

Okay, writing all of that out, I came to grips with the fact that I am proud of the young man that I used to be - proud of his grit, - and I would **** do it again.