Working hard

lenyn Leonce
English 1010


Although I have never been on or close to an oil patch my hard working experiences working as a construction worker can relate to the admirable times you experienced on site. I usually wore the worst torn up clothes that I could find, simply because at the end of the vigorous day they would be covered in cement or other messy equipment needed to complete the job. The job of construction can be a tough one. In order for an individual to work on a construction site, they must bear a level of physical strength higher than the average human being.

Working on a construction site to me was usually a part time summer job. An engagement used to basically keep me occupied and stay away from the delinquents of the present society. I could still vividly hear my mother, as the summer vacation approached, saying “you better go get some work to do before you find yourself in trouble.” The fact that I was the youngest individual on site didn’t change the way that co-workers treated me. To them I was part of the family. Like all families this one had its ups and downs. There were times when some of the guys fought with each other for the stupidest of reasons and other times respected each other like a child would respect his or her mother.

As early as five A.M every morning I would be on the well built company`s open truck, along with my co-workers sipping some coffee and breathing the early morning`s air in preparation for the day ahead of us. Similar to your oil patch, we cooked some delicious meals for each other on breaks in a shed which we used or special skills to build. During the time we ate the food that we prepared, there were many jokes and stories shared, some of which were very personal. The depicting of these personal stories can be a prime example of the amount of trust that we had for each other. I believe these times we spent together created a bond, which enabled us to carry our jobs efficiently.

Your description of the workers on the oil field, “The oil field is usually seen as a rowdy bunch of “rough necks” that are foul mouthed and dirty in all senses (Antrim 1)”, is exactly how construction works are viewed in the eyes of those in my community .Likewise, this is view not a fact. After much interaction with many construction workers, I realized that these individuals are simply ones who were unable to keep up with the faulty education system; therefore they resort to their last option of living which is construction. With the increasing amount of hotels and housing apartments on island, in your case the increasing demand of oil worldwide, provided many opportunities for us to use our expertise. Usually the bosses, who we called often “Boss La”, on site gave the instructions for the actions we carried out such as, how far we should cut a corner of a room and how tall a window ledge should be. Though there was plenty of man power present each day, the job could not be completed without the use of numerous tools. The most frequently used tool was a cement mixer. I would normally have the satisfaction of operating this machine every day. The thrill of hearing the water, white sand and, stones grinding against each other to make the main element needed for the job was one I could never forget. After the machines produced their final product there was often an excessive amount of team work occurring in setting process up the finished goods.

Like drilling, the art of construction is very technical and messy similar to the beauty of the North Dakota morning, the crack of dawn in the St.Lucia, known by many people as the Helen of the West, also presented various features that appealed to one`s senses. On site however, the smell of cement, dust, freshly cut wood and steel, and the frequently used mud water would not. These elements, if breathed in, can be detrimental to the health of an individual, hence we often wore mask and protective head gear which clearly resembled those worn on an oil field site. Some of the other protective gears we were required to wear were, Steel toe boots, goggles for those operating the machines that cut steel, back braces, and gloves.

The summer of 2009 was a painful one for me also; having to say good-bye to my immediate family plus those I considered family on site. Similar to you, Sam, I got a lot of jokes on my last day of work but they also came along with well wishes and chants of congratulations, like any other normal family would do. While I also miss the time spent with my co-workers, looking to the years ahead I imagine returning back to the site after earning a Bachelor’s degree in business management, to help my past co-workers with the way they manage equipment and time, therefore generating more revenue. Hopefully, once again contributing to the improvement of the managerial aspects of construction sites, which I loved and appreciated so much from a very tender age.

In the same degree as you, I am pleased with the strides that I took in my life to get me where I am today, projecting as bright and prosperous future helping those who are considered as menaces to society, our fellow co-workers. This paper has so many similar characteristics with my experiences as a construction worker, it reminds me much about my life at work back at home.





Works cited

Antrim, Sam. English 1010 Blog. October 9, 2009. October 9, 2009.
http://english1010blog5001.blogspot.com/2009/10/since-resigning-my-position-at-my-last.html