Day Shift

I've transitioned from second shift to a standard shift, which has brought some disappointments and many benefits. It would probably be healthier for me to focus exclusively on the benefits, but it would also be more difficult to generate a comment about these. In fact, I think one could safely gauge the happiness of my life by the utter absence of published comment. My brain is generally only motivated to prose when there is some underlying dissatisfaction to address.

More qualifications are now necessary. My statement is not to claim there is nothing in life to inspire malcontent. Quite the opposite. I simply mean that when I am happy, I tend to view these annoyances as unworthy of focus or comment. Conversely, when unhappy, I tend to think every annoyance is worthy of discussion. I hope that clears things up.

I am slowly coming to the conclusion it might be healthier for me to motivate my mind toward exposition in the midst of happiness. If not simply for my own mental exercise then also for the sake of being different. I have, for years, suspected there is an insufferable mundanity to written angst. I despise it in others, why should they not despise it in me?

I've told my wife on several occasions that one of the traits which most powerfully attracted me to her was the unshakable optimism she manifests. It is not always so, but her demeanor is an incredible balm to the woeful malaise of an introvert like myself. To say she has changed me for the better with her incessant happiness is both truthful and the greatest compliment I can think to apply. Therefore, I have to think the application of a similar approach could only benefit my writing. If, that is, I were able to achieve it.

But, obviously, I've digressed.

Benefits and disappointments with day shift. The disappointment which inspired me to write just now has to do with my daily work flow. Previously, on second shift, I had created circumstances which could allow me to focus on development within the various tools I've created to benefit the work processes I am involved in. In the latter half of this year I undertook a project to finalize these tools in anticipation of moving on to a new position within the company.

While nothing has come of my desire to find a better-paying job, the finalization project has carried on in earnest. This is now somewhat interrupted by the shift to daytime activities. I've been allowed to change shifts because of personnel changes, which leaves the workload of another on my plate. Therefore, the freedom for development I previously enjoyed has changed as well.

I've enjoyed the break from these tasks. As I've told many people many times, I am no coder. I like to solve problems and this occasionally necessitates the use of code, but I am not enamored with writing in another language. After all, I already do far too little writing in my primary language to even reference myself as a writer (which is what I think myself to be). Taking a break from fiddling with code quickly means I will forget what little I've learned in the process.