Journal From a Submariner XI

DATE 07SEP10, TIME 1142
24/7. That is what my life has come to, 24 hours a day 7 days a week, submarine. I eat, drink, and breathe submarine. Shit, I even dream submarine.
I’m going to try to put it into a way you would better understand.
Imagine getting hired at Sephora, and them telling you, you had to go across the country for training. You aren’t allowed to talk to anyone except in the written word. Then, when you’re done with the training, you go to another 8 month training, this time though you are allowed two weeks at home before hand. Once you get to your final destination, the Sephora you will be working at for the next 3 years, it gets worse.
You have to sleep in the store every 4 days, and in the middle of the night, you have to stand at the front door waiting for a customer to come. They never do. Then every couple weeks, you have to stay there for a couple months, to get the new employees i.e. NUBS (Non-Useful Bodies) up to par, and trained for the annual 24/7 Sale. While you are there for those couple months, your days shift from a 24-hour a day schedule to an 18-hour a day schedule.
You are not allowed to leave the store, not even to walk around the mall. No sunlight, no fresh air. You also have to stand at the front door for 6 hours at a time and greet customers. Sometimes they will secure you, to have you clean the store. By the time you have been there for a month, you have cleaned the same spot 100 times. Also, when you’re done with your six hours at the door you have to clean for another 2 hours, no matter what.
You then get 3.5 hours off to yourself, to do the things you want. Play a game, watch a movie, write and email. Remember even though it’s the 21st century, no cell phones, or social media.
That is what it would be like to live on a submarine, in your life’s current shoes.
I heard a really good saying in this movie called Memento.
TIME HEALS ALL WOUNDS, BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU CAN’T FEEL TIME.
That describes a submariner’s life, and thoughts perfectly.
I started this journal seven days ago; to me, it feels as if it’s been 2.5 weeks. That’s what happens when you go from 24-hour days to 18-hour days.
Its shitty that I have to try to keep my mind off you so I don’t get depressed, but when I think of the time you are having, the job I am committed to is literally making me go crazy.
As you can see from my sleep log I haven’t been getting much sleep, but time will let that pass.
Love you, forever and always, love babe.