All too often I think I dwell more on the bad and sometimes forget about all the good that comes along with being an oilfield wife (OFW). If my husband were to hear me say this he would say “Honey, you’re a woman!” and give me that playful grin, but seriously sometimes I forget about all the great stuff because I speak so much out loud about the bad. One of the things I am honestly focused on after 2013 is being more positive. I want to be a more positive wife & mother. I want to be a more positive, friendly co-worker and friend. I want to be a more positive and uplifting stranger to the person who makes my coffee, bags my groceries, and tries to sell me magazines over the phone, EVEN if they call at dinner time! Today I will be a more positive OFW and I am starting that change with telling all of you what I love most about being an OFW!
I do not think any little girl grows up dreaming of marrying a man who she will live with half the year, but believe it or not I am thankful for my oilfield man’s (OFM) schedule of two weeks on two weeks off. The obvious reason I am thankful, because it is not three weeks on and one off! In all seriousness, I know people say “Wow that must be hard” and yes it is hard, but I am thankful for our time apart because it makes our time together so treasured! Two weeks away from my OFM once a month every month is just enough time to realize how much he really does to help me, how much I really value his company, and how much I truly love him. I never feel I start to forget what it is like to be kissed goodnight, but instead I have time to think about how much I miss those kisses and how near and dear to my heart they are. Being forced to essentially live separate lives half the month every month really makes you never take your spouse for granted. One of the things I love most about the field is the schedule, and it’s true what they say for this OFW, distance makes the heart grow fonder. I really do love the oilfield because it makes me appreciate my husband for all that he deserves.
One of the greatest gains I have made since becoming an (OFW) is being more educated. I love the oilfield because it has taught and shown me things I would have never dreamed of. My husband has explained processes to me about how we as a society obtain both oil and natural gas that I had honestly no clue about before. The gain of information has in fact got me into some pretty heated debates, possibly political disagreements, and yes my “Pro Oilfield Opinion” has resulted in some defriending, but at the end of the day I am a more educated woman and that is what matters. Before becoming an OFW I think I honestly fell into that category of individuals that take the field for granted. I filled up my car at the pump, and I cranked my heater in the winter not ever paying attention to whom or what played a role in my simple everyday activities. It took some time, and a lot of repeating on my husband’s part, but now when our five minute phone calls consist of venting about running casing, or frustrated with skidding the rig, and even anxiety about laying over the Derrek, at least now I know what he is talking about and can appreciate what he does even more so than before. Let’s just say I love the oilfield because I love to know my facts!
I hate the following terms “Oilfield Rich” or “Oilfield Trash, Spending Oilfield Cash”. Let’s all be honest, the money our OFM make is great and it provides comfortable lifestyles, so yes I do love the oilfield because quite honestly it gives our family everything we need and more. The lifestyle that the oilfield gives our family really is a blessing. Neither my husband or I grew up getting to experience family vacations, we did not wear name brand clothing, and even as a young adult I worked three jobs while going to college just to pay my tuition. The oilfield allows us to give our daughter things we never had, takes her to places not even we have ever seen and most importantly it allows us to save. My husband’s oilfield income allows us to not live paycheck to paycheck, we don’t live in debt or off credit cards, we can put money in retirement and savings and most of all we have flexibility to start saving for things such as a wedding and college education for our daughter one day. The paycheck is great, but the benefits and insurance that come with the oilfield are also a big bonus to me as an oilfield wife. We as a family have never had any problems or issues with our health, dental, or vision insurance and quite honestly in today’s world, to work for a company that even still offers insurance is a win! The benefits packages and 401k options are also something that I feel a lot of companies tossed aside these last few years but in the oilfield industry we still have all these things. At the end of the day I love the oilfield for the financial security it gives our family.
The list of why I love being an OFW could really go on and on. The lifestyle, the intelligence, the acknowledgment of what an incredible man I have are all reasons that just scratch the tip of the iceberg. I also love being an OFW because it has introduced us to many other wonderful friends and family in the industry, it allows for my husband to travel to a lot of areas he has never been to before, and even meet people he would have never dreamed of, like former Denver Bronco players at his last Noble Oil meeting. The oilfield lifestyle makes me excited to cook, bake, and try new recipes for those precious two weeks we get to have my OFM home and be a family. I love the oilfield because my husband gets two complete weeks a month, half the year, to do nothing but play with our daughter, hit golf balls, and play at the lake; he works so hard I truly value that he gets that much time for himself. I love that my husband works in an industry that still rewards hard work with bonuses, gift cards, company trucks, fuel cards, and huge rig meals. I love the oilfield because it put more focus and energy on keeping our OFM safe more than everything, and every year they are striving to do things even better. How do I love the oilfield, let me count the ways.
The number one reason overall why I love the oilfield is because it really does make my husband happy. The oilfield is his career and he enjoys it. My OFM loves teaching his new hands, he takes pride in his rig, and he is competitive to say the least when it comes to drilling the well. At times of frustration, irritation, even loneliness, I can still hear in his voice how much his job means to him. He values the relationship with all the company men, safety guys, and vendors he meets, but more than anything he values the relationships of those that work for him. I have received numerous phone calls where hubby calls and asks for recommendations on what he should make the crew to eat for their safety meetings, or ideas on how to make even holidays at the rig still somewhat special to his guys. Every floor hand up to the driller are like family to him and I can tell not only is the job itself important to him but those that he works with as well. I love the oilfield because it is my husband’s second family, every month, one hitch at times.
Why do you love the oilfield? Find me on Facebook and extend your own oilfield family to mine! https://www.facebook.com/becky.arnold.18
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