I don't know the mailman's name. I really should. It's been the same guy for a year. I should make him cookies. Who else are we overlooking?
Essentials
Selena Gomez Cooking GIF by HBO MaxGiphy"Janitors. Teachers. Garbage workers. Restaurant cooks and servers."
Be Kind
"Being in beauty school where we had clients 3/5 days every week (the other 2 being class time) and when I worked as a carhop at Sonic. Soon after I have grown a much more sense of respect towards all customer service workers and the importance of tipping (live in the US)."
Delivery
"Mail/Package delivery carriers. All we do is sit in the comfort of our homes complaining about how the online system says our package is running late. Meanwhile these men and women are out every day including rainstorms and snow to try to get your mail and packages to you as quick as possible. Some of those older cars don't even have AC on top of the of the fact they do not get paid enough for the work they do."
"Now I work as an account manager (customer service) at Discover Credit Card and it amazes me how crappy ppl can be towards someone who's job it is to service you and in my current job help you. To be honest when I get really sweet customers who rave the company, the agents and especially yourself it makes it all worth while knowing some ppl will appreciate u and make sure you know it."
Head above Water
"Sewer Workers. Imagine going through literal crap to deal with people's crap."
"I am the head water and wastewater operator for the city I live in. It really isn't as bad as you might think, most of the time. If you take your precautions, it really isn't a problem. As for why, I wouldn't say it is a great paying job for what it really entails."
"For instance, all the certification and government restrictions, that you have to deal with. You are basically a chemist who gets to work in the field. And it is by far one of the hardest tests I have had to take, and I have a college degree. I just fell into this position, and I really like what I do. I am essentially responsible for delivering clean drinking water to the home and removing the waste from it. The town folks health is in my hands, and I feel better knowing it is me running it instead of the lazier people I have seen in that role."
- ihcubguy
Feed Me
homer simpson tractor GIFGiphy"Any food-related job, from farmers to delivery drivers. You'd think that something involving a basic survival necessity would be lauded to Heaven and back, but nooooooooo."
Road crew staff. Without them we'd be stranded. That job is dangerous too. Working amongst drivers? That's death defying.
homer simpson truck GIFClean Up Crew
"Maintenance/janitorial services."
"Janitors in my high school were honored guests at the assemblies, and they were routinely and publicly thanked. It made them visible to the students, and I think helped make a culture where they weren't taken for granted. It was one of the nicest things I can remember about high school."
I Care
"Caregiver. My mother works as a caregiver in a nursing home. She spends her days showering the elderly, changing their diapers, feeding them, and cleaning bodily fluids. Not only is it a physical job (you often have to lift people, carry heavy things) but it's also psychologically hard. She sees many people suffering, dying, often alone and abandoned by their families."
In Flames
"Wildland firefighters. Specifically ones working for the federal government. Restricted to only having 4-6 days off a month. Paid horribly, 15$ an hr to expose yourself to extremely Smokey conditions with very poor hygiene conditions. High risk environment while working long hours multiplied by doing it for months causing cumulative fatigue. Fed worse than prisoners for the most part. It is a thankless job, no wonder there are retention issues."
Friends with Ben
"We as a society have a terrible habit of viewing these types of workers as dumb or incapable of getting "better" jobs, but in my experience this couldn't be further from the truth. I remember there was one member of the cleaning staff at my old workplace who was seriously one of the smartest guys I've ever met."
"He was really young too (probably not much older than 20), but if you spent five minutes talking to him it was apparent that this guy was next level brilliant. He could've done anything he wanted, but instead chose to work as a janitor while solving advanced math equations and hanging out with Ben Affleck."
Thank you...
GIF by FirstAndMondayGiphy"Grocery store cashiers - especially during this pandemic."
"Know what I hate? That cashiers can't sit because it might "appear" that they are "lazy." FFS! No one needs to be on their feet 8 hours if they could sit! It takes a toll on the spine, knees and feet! Please write/call your stores manager and ask for seating."
I need to do better. We all do. So let's start today. Tip your waiters. Say hi to the janitors. HELP AND PAY YOUR TEACHERS!!
Thank you for your services to humanity!
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