Unsung Heroes
Whew! Apparently, last week I kicked over a bit of a hornet's nest. I am sorry for any who unwillingly got caught up in the debate. It is always interesting what some react to and the tone they choose in their reaction. I appreciate all who comment here, especially those who choose to keep it positive!
Hoping to start fresh this week with a note of gratitude!
This weekend the hills opened for skiers. Cold nights and daily accumulations make for a lot of fun. We owe the snow farmers a ton for bringing us an early bumper crop! They are a great example of so many who work behind the scenes to make our community successful. I hear Pintail is opening soon!
While on the subject of hard workers, as the cold sets in before the holidays, I think about my dad. For 42 years, he worked for UPS. This time of year, when he was working package trucks, he would leave before my brothers and I went to school and not get home before 10 pm. This was long before Amazon. Most of the packages he delivered were Christmas gifts sent to family and friends across the country.
Anyway, while others think of red and green during the holidays, I throw in some thoughts for the team in brown. Like their brothers and sisters at the Post Office and FedEx, the folks at UPS work their tails off this time of year. Their efforts ensure stores have products to sell and customers have presents under the tree. They drive on snowy roads. They race with dollies stacked with packages through slush. They are cold. It is just plain hard work.
During the holidays, in addition to the daily grind, UPS drivers, ski hill operators, shop keepers, cashiers, snowplow drivers, city staff and a host of other workers all experience the added burden of dealing with frustrated and frustrating people. For many, things are not just going how they want.
For some, even though they know the UPS driver is not responsible for the entire supply chain, the guy in brown still gets an earful because they are standing on the doorstep. Deep down we know it’s not fair. But when you are waiting for that last special gift sometimes it is hard to listen to our better angels. Grievance sometimes replaces gratitude. Stress can stretch any of us.
All this is a long way of encouraging us ALL to be kind to those who get things done. Especially during the holidays. Maybe take a second to thank people who make everyone else's lives easier. We are surrounded by folks who do things we cannot do --- deliver packages, make snow, plow roads, update the code, fix the plumbing, create the perfect sandwich, restore a boat, protect our natural resources, pass a city budget, police our streets, fight the fires, care for the sick, write the newspaper, and maybe stock the perfect Christmas gift.
Many thanks to heroes big and small (and especially my dad)! Take care of one another.