Importance

Ok, first a side note – Today is my 100th blog post! Wow, I didn’t think I had written that many, and yet it feels like I have been writing them forever now. Thank you all who have subscribed and read what I have written. I have enjoyed sharing a piece of me, as well as a lot of my opinions with you. I hope you have enjoyed reading them. Now, on to my thoughts on importance.

I mentioned we had a broken-down car when we were Wasilla the other day in one of my recent posts. I had an interesting conversation with one of my daughters the next day. When we were ready to move the car to a safer spot in the parking lot to leave it overnight, we had to push it. Someone had to stay in the car and steer while the rest of us got out and pushed. My daughter was asked to be the driver, and my husband, myself and our two boys were the pushers, my husband also being the director for the daughter steering.

As we were talking about the wind and cold, she commented that her job was probably the most important job because without her steering, the car wouldn’t have gone where it was supposed to. I told her that without the pushers the car wouldn’t have gone where it was supposed to go either. She thought about that for a moment and decided I was probably right, and she jokingly said, “but still” with a big grin on her face.

This experience made me think about how often we think our job is the most important job or how often we see some jobs as beneath us. I don’t know about you and your family experiences, but here at my house, my kids are constantly arguing about who did the job last, and who “always” does it, so it shouldn’t be their turn again. But along with that argument comes the comments about how much better it was done last time because they did it, and how it hadn’t been done right at some point when someone else must have been doing it, if that makes sense, because sometimes it doesn’t make sense to me!

I have also heard people talk about the janitor at their school or building, or the trash man that picks up their garbage. Many people do so in a derogatory way, assuming they must be uneducated, or in some way lesser than because that is the profession they have chosen or are pursuing at the moment. And yet, because of their willingness to do what they do, we have beautiful buildings and clean streets and towns to live in. I periodically leave a pan or pot to soak in my kitchen sink overnight so that it is easier to scrub the next morning. My kids used to then put their dirty dish in the pot or pan after they finished breakfast, rather than setting it to the side. One day they were talking about how they all disliked stacking the dishwasher when there was a dirty pot in the sink because the plates, bowls and silverware put in the pot were “gross” to get out. I asked why they continued to do it then, and their comment back? Because most of the time they didn’t have to, and I (mom) did it. I asked them if they thought about whether it was gross to me, and they said it had never crossed their mind because I am the mom and it’s normal for me. Well, we had a little conversation about how disrespectful that was, and if they didn’t like it, why would I? Now, for the most part, it never happens anymore.

There are so many jobs in this world, and most of them aren’t the high paying, never get your hands dirty kinds of jobs. But all of them are necessary in some way to the functioning of society. In fact, I believe that it is the “lower jobs” that actually make our society work. I don’t believe there are menial jobs in society. I also think that each person, no matter their position should know how to, and be willing to get in and get done, every job from the ground up. If something needs doing, just get in and get it done. I think that you will find that often the person whose job it is to get it done is already overwhelmed and would love a little bit of help getting it done. The other thing I remind my kids is to be grateful. Don’t make unnecessary messes just because it’s “someone else’s job” to clean it up. Take time to thank the people who do any job that benefits you in any way. The person vacuuming the school, taking out the trash, mopping floors and cleaning toilets so you don’t have to. They are doing a great work, usually behind the scenes that benefits you every day. Be grateful.

I know that on occasion I need to be reminded to be grateful for the thing’s others do for me, whether directly or indirectly, everyone around us affects us in some way. Everyone’s job is important in some way, and everyone deserves to be thanked for how they contribute to society. We are all human beings no matter our job title or position. I challenge you (and me) to take the opportunity this week to thank someone for the job they’re doing that contributes great or small things to our society and makes it a better place to be.