- How did I approach the theme when I first received the prompt
When approaching the “Night Shift” theme, I wanted to move beyond conventional depictions of late night jobs and explore the liminal space between the dead of night and dawn where identity, survival, and transformation collide. I focused on the exhausting conflict of navigating two drastically different realities within a single morning, exploring what it takes to physically and emotionally shed one skin to survive in another. Because reality is that many people exist in these spaces and realities, I might as well write about it.
2. What drew me to the particular angle I explored in this piece
I was drawn to the unexpected parallels between clinical care and sex work. Both professions require the exact same rare currency; the ability to look at a human being stripped of their masks and pretenses , recognize their raw vulnerability, and offer steady comfort without judgment. I wanted to reject the rigid social boundaries drawn between saints and sinners, showing how both demand an identical capacity for tenderness and presence.
3. Did writing this piece change or deepen my own perspective on the topic?
Writing this story deepened my appreciation for compartmentalization not as an erasure of self or defense mechanism, but as a deliberate discipline of survival and agency(it is used adaptively in jobs that require care for others).
It underscored the duality of being human and the fact that dignity is carried entirely within the person. Also internal validation over external opinions; If it feels right to you then other people’s opinions simply don’t matter.
4. If readers remember just one idea from your piece, what would you want it to be?
That a person’s deservingness of dignity, and capacity for compassion are never diminished by the choices they make to survive.
5. Complete the sentence: “I hope my writing makes people…”
I hope my writing makes people look at the quiet, uncelebrated effort of everyday survival with tenderness and far less judgment towards every person. Because every human being has inherent value and deserves dignity.
