The oilfield life is a unique way of life. We sacrifice family time – to get more family time. Our men work away from home for weeks or months at a time, so that they can have weeks and months at home. The way of life that we have chosen comes with its own particular set of pros and cons. There’s a flip side to everything. What’s good can be bad, what’s negative can be a positive, what’s up can be down……
While my Hot Oil Man is gone I get to sleep in the middle of the bed. I don’t have to cook as much. I get to pick what to watch on TV. We stick to a schedule and things run smoothly.
Which also means -
While my Hot Oil man is gone I don’t sleep well and I feel lonesome. I’m stressed by our busy day to day schedule, and I don’t have any time to relax.
When my HOM is gone, the kids behave better and are more focused on school.
Which means -
When my HOM is gone my kids only have one parent to cheer them on and help with life’s problems. They miss their dad.
When my HOM is home I have another person competing for my time and attention. It’s more difficult to maintain our daily schedule and keep up on who needs to be where and when. When my HOM is home there is more laundry to do, and an extra person to clean up after.
Which also means -
When my HOM is home he helps with the housework and also helps take the kids to their activities. He also takes care of car maintenance and yard work. What a relief.
When my HOM is home he wants to have fun. He is on vacation mode. He thinks any time is a good time to go somewhere with no regard for school, weekly extracurricular activities, baths, or bedtimes.
Which means -
When My HOM is home we get so much quality time together. Whether it’s just playing in the yard for an hour, or going to the mountains for the day, or going to Disneyland for a week. I love our family time. Families who play together, stay together.
Our oilfield lives are filled with big ol’ gray areas. What’s black can sometimes be white. We don’t get the good without getting the bad right along with it, too. You just have to tolerate the negatives while you focus on the positives. That’s the oilfield way of life.
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