Temporary Schedules

First thing I hated about call centers was their ever changing schedules! Okay, some call centers have definite work schedules but most often, their work schedules change every so often. In my case, it was almost every month. 

Big deal?  Not for the agents of course, they knew exactly what they were into - it's part of the job. But how about the people in the lives of these agents? I was really caught unprepared for this.

I live abroad. I am an hour behind Philippine time. I work from 7.30-4pm during weekdays, half - day on occasional Saturdays that we had to report for work. I have been working for 7 years now. That has been my working life - which is not that different from the schedule during the time I went to school, from elementary to college. I think you get the picture.  It's the typical working hours if I may say so. I have lived almost my entire life with that schedule. Then came my agent bf.

Just when I get the hang of his 6am to 2pm shift, he was given a 10am - 6pm shift, then changed to 1pm to 9pm sched. We were able to line our chat times with his work sched just fine. Then he was given 11pm to 7am shift, changed to 12mn - 8am, 2am to 10am, 10 pm to 6am. Sometimes, his schedule changes almost bi-monthly. With the rapid change of his schedule, I looked forward to his rest days for us to really chat. But then, I was wrong again. With the change of shift sched, his rest days changed as well. We could not establish a routine time or day for us to really talk. During my waking hours, he's asleep, when he's awake, he's at work while I try to extend my bed time for as long as my eyes can stay open. Rest days are spent to adjust his body clock for a new shift at work. Honestly, I couldn't believe I was able to last those changes. My whole world then was in chaos - I had no routine.

Communication was very vital to keep our relationship alive and strong, much more that what we have is long-distance. Sure there are other things involved to keep us together, but we both value communication - either through sms, email, fb posts, chats and occasional phone calls. Good thing, we had 24/7 internet access and we were always online, however, with his ever changing schedule, we were just communicating through sms during our spare time - going to work, lunch break and on our way home. I thought we won't make it.

Looking back, I could say I have gotten used to not having to get used to a schedule. At first, I used to throw dramatic tantrums when I ask for time (he usually sleeps during his free time) from him. When he's working and I'm back in the Phils, I slowly accepted the fact that I can never win against him from sleeping. With all these new things I had to go through, he taught me a lesson. It 's not actually new to me but it was only with him that I fully understood what it really meant.

He has taught be to be thankful for the times we get the chance to talk, whether how short it maybe. Look at the quality, not the quantity. Yes, we are online 24/7 but because of work and other things, we can't really chat. I would always be sad when he would say he'll be sleeping already (after a few minutes of chat - yet being online the whole day) but he'd ask me why I get sad if we both had a good chat? I would say that our chat was really short, to think we were online the whole day, then he'd say - why let that sad thought ruin the happiness we both feel because we talked? Often, I wouldn't know what to reply - coz I knew he was right. 

I'd be angry at times when we don't really get to talk anymore because he sleeps a lot - but then again, I would tell myself, no matter how crazy his shift maybe, he had always spared me a bit of  his time, everyday. Better that than none at all...