I've Learned

As I inch nearer and nearer to end of my offshore stint, there are a few things I've learnt and never want to let go, as I know I probably will never have the same feelings about another job again.

I love my work offshore for many things - most of all the comraderie I share with my collegues, and, I believe, true friendships borne out of living, working, tolerating, and, in the end, celebrating each other.

How many jobs offer so many laughs in one day? In other places, many hands make light work (to me) is a saying - after work we go back to our own homes, families and private lives (as we should). But offshore, the platform is my home, and I share it with my collegues, who are my family and there is virtually no truly private life, except, fortunately for me, in sleep. But even in sleep our time is not ours - the plant, should she feel neglected, might call, and we have to answer.


I could go on about how we are cut off from the rest of the world, about "losing" pieces of one's life when offshore. About how, for these 2 weeks, our lives are totally, one hundred percent devoted to work and little else (after all, what else is there??) Where we are at the beck and call of the plant, and being waken up in the middle of the night to go out to the field. Physical work, or attempting to solve problems that persist for 30-odd hours straight is just part and parcel of offshore life.


I will be forever grateful for the past 2 years offshore. I have learnt more than I could ever expect, cried some, torn my hair and endured chest pains and hallucinations on many an occasion. But it was offshore that tested my personal courage, my patience, my ability to keep on going when I thought I could not.

I learnt that even when you are having one horrible day, when someone comes to you you still have to just put on that smile - because you have to live, work, sleep, eat with that person. And - the magical thing is that when you do force that smile out the corners of your mouth - one smile leads to another, and something funny gets said, or something great gets done - and your heart smiles (laughs) too. Sometimes it does not even have to be some work done, it could be a joke, a compliment, the sun coming out and making the water sparkle, or the wind suddenly blows into your face and feels like a hug - how to keep up the bad mood?

I do believe that work outdoors - under the sun and with the wind full in one's face - this is how work should be (romantisizing the oil and gas industry - am I the first?? :) ). I'll be the first to admit that this is no farming or gardening - no weeding or feeling the soil in your hands or watching things grow. We have running pumps, an engine designed for a Boeing 737 and flammable gas everywhere to work with.

But most importantly, we have each other. I am not sure about the rest of my crew since I am comparatively very new and they have truly been through a lot more than me. That said, we did go through some trying times together in the past 2 years, and it is an honour for me to have these people with me during these times.

When I read this in a forwarded email, some of the verses rang so true to me:

I've learned -
that it's not what happens to people that's important. It's what they do about it.

I've learned -
that you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I've learned -
that we are responsible for what we do,
no matter how we feel.

I've learned -
that either you control your attitude
or it controls you.

I've learned -
that sometimes the people you expect
to kick you when you're down
will be the ones to help you get back up.

I've learned -
that sometimes when I'm angry
I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give methe right to be cruel.

I've learned -
that our background and circumstances
may have influenced who we are,but we are responsible for who we become.

I've learned -
that sometimes you have to put the individual ahead of their actions.

Yes, I've Learned Many things. And I hope I never forget.