Friday, June 5, 2020

Essential Workers

One of the few benefits of the coronavirus pandemic is that it has clarified what workers are most essential in American society.  Of course, medical professionals, researchers, hospital employees and first responders head that list.

But, before the pandemic, how many of us truly appreciated the work of grocery personnel, food producers, manufacturers of vital supplies (toilet paper for instance), truckers, home delivery workers, trash collectors and utility technicians, among others.  None of those jobs are glamorous and most are rewarded with average incomes at best.  There are no celebrities among these essential workers and, with the exception of medical professionals, their careers are not generally encouraged by parents, professors or job placement counselors.

Too often, we admire individuals based on their prestige or income.  However, when a crisis strikes, their value fades in comparison to those persons who are truly essential.  Bloggers, of course, are on neither list.