Today's MOZEN: Turning the Lobster Trick

On Duty

When I was a young man, fresh out of college, like a lot of young men of that era, I had my degree but no really strong idea of what I wanted to do with it. I was kind of a rebel without a clue. However, what I DID know was that I didn't want a traditional 9-5 job.

So, after many attempts at a variety of jobs, some traditional, mostly menial, I wound up in Cable TV production and, eventually, TV News.

And, I got my wish.

News Never Rests.

So, instead of 9-5, I've worked 8a-8p, 6p-2a, 3p-11p, 7a-3p, 4p-12a, and, of course, the infamous 12a-8a., the shift I happen to be working tonight.

Of all of those shifts, Midnight to 8 in the morning is the only one so unique as to have its own set of designated, unique nicknames: The Graveyard Shift, The Dog Shift, and, perhaps, the strangest of all, The Lobster Shift, a.k.a. Turning The Lobster Trick.

All of them have interesting histories that can trace their roots to the Newspaper industry. Most of them refer to the difficulties associated with working those hours.

The Graveyard Shift is the most obvious. Most (but, obviously, not ALL) of the world is asleep, making the environment as quiet as, well, a graveyard. This is mostly true, but not completely. There is a whole other world happening at night (more later).

The Dog Shift moniker was originally a nautical term and referred to an unpopular turn on the deck watch which caused the sailor to miss his regular meal break. So, it was a challenge then - as it is today, i.e. that poor dog.

Perhaps, the strangest of all these terms is The Lobster Shift, which is also called The Lobster Trick. It has a few, very interesting alleged origins.

The trick part is also a nautical term and refers to taking a turn at the watch of the ship's helm. The lobster part is a little more complex and interesting. One explanation for it is that the newspaper men coming in for the night shift did so only after frequenting the local drinking establishments and often arrived at work as boiled as, you got it, LOBSTERS. Another is that lobsters are stupid creatures. So, only someone as dumb as a lobster would work that shift. I can buy that!

By any name, working through the night has its challenges. I have always found it physically demanding. Human beings are not nocturnal by nature. Our natural biorhythms are thrown completely out of sync. It's tough on the body and simply not healthy.

However, I also enjoy it, too.

Life may change at night but it does not stop. In fact, it has its own essence. In nature, many animals function almost exclusively in the dark. So it is with many people. They adjust their schedules to be able to function in a world that most never see. But, it is there, nonetheless: policemen, firemen, doctors, nurses, street sweepers, truck drivers, janitors, doormen, cooks, factory workers, and, yes, even journalists function in mostly the same way as their counterparts do during the light of day. But, also with its own pace and unique rhythms.

Besides, you get to see the sun rise - as I will once again. And, like the lights who have kept me company through the long night, we can then close our tired eyes to sleep.

F LoBuono

*http://www.word-detective.com/2009/07/graveyard-dog-lobster-shift/