It's my 30th anniversary today

No not marriage. I've never been able to string more than a handful of them together.

No, 30 years in the Oil business. I "broke out" in 1977. And to be honest I don't recall the exact day. Or for that matter I am not 100% sure it was in April. I remember that it was springtime and school was still going on. I dropped out to go into the business. But I have always counted the time from April.

I guess it's natural when a milestone like that rolls around to reminisce about the past. That's what I have been doing today. Looking back over the years.

It's been a long, wild, ride. The "roughneck" lifestyle is a gypsy, free spirited, hard living, hard drinking, hard loving, kind of life. And I embraced it fully.

I certainly have no regrets. And I suppose that is a good thing for someone my age. The business, and the life, cost me 2 marriages. Or so I like to claim anyway. Who knows, could of just been me.
The two most common factors among all oilfield workers are alcoholism and divorce. I have had bouts with both.

But I have seen the world and packed a lot of living into those 30 years. I worked in 7 U.S. states and 2 foriegn countries. And wouldn't trade a single day of it.

I have stood at the foot of the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel tower, and the Great Pyramid. I have lain and looked at the stars on the beach in Ventura, Calif., and in the endless desert of Saudi Arabia. I had a front row seat for Desert Storm and watched the plane bearing Yasser Arafats body land in Cairo.

I drilled holes in the Nevada desert to put nuclear bombs into to test. I sat and watched from the floor of my rig the Delta Force rangers practice for thier foiled mission to rescue the hostages in Iran.
I worked in 30 degree below zero weather in the Rocky Mountains and 130 degrees above in the Middle East.

I have traveled through the capitols of dozens of forign lands. Manila, Hong Kong, Singapore, London, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Daharan, Muscat, Manama, Doha, Cairo.

And here at home, Honululu, New York, Newark, Boston, Nashville, Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, L.A., San Fransisco, Ventura, Las Vegas, And on and on.

I look back on the things I missed. The birth of two of my three daughters. Birthdays, holidays, funerals, marriages.
But I wouldn't change a thing.

My current wife says that the oil business is my mistress and she is right. I love what I do. I have struggled and fought. I have slept in my car. I lived off of potato chip sandwiches for a week while waiting on a paycheck. I've been up and I've been down. I finally am to a point where I have worked myself up to the top level of field personell. I did my office time, but I prefer to be in the field. I have reached the point that I have been aiming for for years. And all the sacrifice is finally starting to pay off. But even if it didn't, I would still be doing it.
It is a great blessing for a man to be doing something he loves to do. And an added bonus to be able to make a good living doing it.

Thanks for sharing my little trip down memory lane. I had intended to throw a big party to celebrate and probably will soon. But right now my mistress calls. I have been working extra shifts to make up for a guy that is out after having surgery. But I don't complain. They make it well worth my time. But to tell the truth, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Except maybe Knob Creek this weekend.

 

Congrats on the milestone MM. Anniversaries are a good time for us to review the past and, as in your case, appreciate our choices. Surviving the bad and enjoying the good is what it's all about.