I
suppose if I were really organized I’d write articles about holidays
that are coming up not after they’ve already been. For example, this
weekend is Labor Day, and you’ll be reading this the week or so after
Labor Day rather than before it happens. Not that it matters but it does
mess up my weird sense of order. I must make a note to get these out
earlier. I’d write about Thanksgiving but that may be a little too far
ahead. Anyway, here it is Labor Day. The end of the summer and the return
to fall and hopefully cooler weather. This also means the end of summer
vacation and now all of the kids are back on the road again driving to
school.
As much as I’d like to spend this
entire time talking about that subject, I realize this is a holiday
article and I should confine myself to writing about the subject at hand.
Labor. Someone once
wrote that the rich are the same as you and I, only different. I think the
same holds true for certain jobs and occupations. Whenever I get to the
point where I’m felling sorry for myself about something I have to do, I
stop and look around and kind of take an inventory of just how lucky I
really am. For example, for the most part I work inside. Now, this may not
seem like much, but with temperatures edging over 105 degrees outside,
trust me it’s a lot to be thankful for. In fact there is any number of
jobs that I have noticed in the past few months that I feel fortunate not
to have. My hat is off to those that are working in these. God bless these
folks.
The number one job I’d choose not
to have in August in Texas would have to be a roofer. Man, these people
have to be tough to mess with tin and tar on a roof in this kind of heat.
I know they get started early to avoid the noonday sun, but I’d have to
start at 3am to do what they do and still stay alive. Think about it, next
time you want your roof fixed. Would you want to crawl up there carrying
shingles, tar or tin and walk around for several hours? Not me, I’ll pay
someone any day for that relief. In spite of this I see roofers smile more
than joggers. What’s this all about?
I reminded of something that happened
many years ago. I was meeting some folks in a restaurant and noticed an
old friend of mine standing over in a corner with this terrible look on
his face. I walked over and asked what was the matter and it seemed that
some girl he used to date was sitting with some other guy. I asked why did
he care since he’d broken up with her a long time ago. He didn’t
really have an answer, but was bound and determined to pick a fight with
this new guy. I took a look at the guy and he looked fairly substantial to
me and so I advised my friend to just things alone and leave this be.
Several weeks later I ran into the same friend and both of his arms were
in those body casts that have those braces propping them up. I found out
that he had waited for the new guy to go to the bathroom and then went in
and challenged him to a fight. I asked my friend if he’d found out what
he did for a living before he picked a fight with him.
He said." Well, yes, he was a
roofer." I told he had to be one of the dumbest guys I knew since
everyone knows what kind of shape you had to be in to stay a roofer in
Texas in the summer. Another job I’d hate to have is any form of
roadwork. These guys are always messing with tar. Tar is hot. Tar is not
one of the things I’d like to fool with in this heat. It takes ovens or
boilers to heat tar, which just makes more heat. Same thing goes for
asphalt or highway work of any kind. They need to pay these guys way more
money for this kind of torture. Either that or only do road work in the
winter months. Don’t want anything to do with sheet metal or tin. Think
about it…. These have a tendency to be sharp and hot at the same time.
Not my idea of pleasant working conditions. Tire changer, nope not for me.
Think about a welder in the summer. Now in the old medieval days, you
could probably do away with the rack and the iron maiden if you’d just
make someone be a welder for a few years. I’ve seen what welding in a
boiler or some other heavy vessel will do to a guy in this kind of heat.
It isn’t pretty.
These are tough, tough people that
make their living this way. Not many of them can stand up to it day in and
day out, year after year. It’ll make you old in a hurry. The point to
all of this is simple. Most of us complain and complain about the things
we do from time to time. I challenge you to sit down and write out a list
of the good things that your job has to offer. While you’re at it, look
around you while you’re driving around and notice some folks that don’t
get to eat lunch in some office cafeteria, or who don’t have indoor
restrooms. Wave at these people. They work hard and are doing jobs we
wouldn’t like or be able to perform. This is what Labor Day is about…as
I said my hat is off to you. Thanks. Send stuff to me at www.pearyperry.com. |
