Today it seems that everyone is encouraged to go to college, and pursuing a higher education is the social norm. I am in college myself, so clearly I think there is an inherent value in getting a degree. I do not, however, think that this is any reason to lose sight of the important people who make our world function day to day. Men and women who, by the sweat of their brow, make all of our lives a little easier with every job they accomplish. I think it is time for us to thank them.
Every day we go from task to task and rarely, if ever, stop to think about what we are doing, and how hard it would be if certain goods and services were not readily available for us. Think of your breakfast in the morning. Someone raised those chickens, someone grew and picked those vegetables, and someone milked that cow so you could have your morning meal. Then you get in your car, made and maintained by mechanics. Then you drive down a road, made by construction workers, to an office building, made by construction workers. It is far too easily forgotten that if the man who fixes your car suddenly decides to quit, you would not know what to do. This is something you should think about the next time you talk down to your mechanic or give dirty looks to the man in dirty work boots and overalls at the store. These are the people you depend on.
I grew up around blue-collar work and engage in it myself when I am not taking classes, and I can tell you that these people are astounding. They are the epitome of hard workers and problem solvers. I personally know many who are up before the sun and don’t stop working until after dark so that our lives may be comfortable. It is easy to take for granted all that manual laborers do for us, but they deserve to be acknowledged. It is in fact very easy to treat these men and women with respect. Do not sneer when you see the dirt under their fingernails and the oil stains on their clothes, but rather, be thankful they are doing their job so you don’t have to. Some of the kindest people I have met were covered from head to toe in concrete dust and fresh mud. The best thing you can do for them is give them a handshake, look them in the eye and thank them for all that they do.
