True Lies

[John Arton]

I was watching an old (1990's) film on T.V. yesterday and as it does, my mind started to wander thinking about some oldish films.
One I used to enjoy watching (not for its material content though) was Arnie Swartznegger and Jamie Lee Curtis (god she had some body) in a film called True Lies, just a bit of harmless but enjoyable entertainment. In the film he plays a boring computer salesman who has a double life as a spy, which his wife knew nothing about until certain actions happen.
This got me thinking (as it does) and it made me think that as seafarers we led a double life that most of our wives, partners etc. knew little about.
On board we were devoted to the ship ensuring her and ours safety and those of our shipmates, which took up our attention 24 hrs. a day. We left our wives/partners, children, houses etc. in their care whilst we were beholden to the ship.
On returning home on leave we were then beholden to our other task master (wife) and became head of the family. Even as Master on board on returning home on leave you were subservient to SWMBO in your home. The beauty of being a seafarer as opposed to a 9-5 shore whallah was that when on leave you were rarely, if ever, bothered by the office wanting you to come in at weekends/after hours etc. to solve some problem.
So we did, like Arnie in the film, lead a duel life, "True Lies".
rgds
JA

[j.sabourn]

Going back a good few years John were never home that long to become entrenched, it was only in latter years that I had that privilege if one can call it that. Even at home before was married and living with parents, woke up one morning the personel manager shaking me, to go down to a ship in the Tyne as they were short handed as the riggers were on strike and ship was coming out of Drydock at Hebburn and going onto a buoy in the river. Yes it was Cappys Avonmoor in 1959 or thereabouts, didn't know cappy then or might have suspected he caused the strike. Going offshore in 1978 apart from being few suitable jobs going, it was to try and get time at home, however was like closing the barn door after the horse had bolted, as kids by this time were well into their teens, and they didn't know me or I them as well as should, another drawback that seafarers had to live with. With the good things also came the bad, the only thing I can say is I always provided for them. Cheers JS