The problem with things just working is you get used to it and assume that is the way things are and always should be. The moment things start to go wrong the complaints and recriminations come fast and furious. I was reminded of this as my area of the city has been suffering from water shortages due to infrastructure upgrades (that then took a turn for the worst). Most of the time water flows freely out of the tap and it barely registers with me. However, when you start to think about it many such analogies exist.
We flick a switch and … tada! Light. That magical juice known as electricity that powers our fridges, routers, lights, and everything else. I am sure the amount of effort that goes into generating, transmitting, and distributing electrical power is mind boggling. But I am willing to bet you never notice it till it’s gone right?
And how about internet access? Another one of those rights that we take for granted. Or deftly defying the laws of physics millions of airplanes take off and land every year around the world without incident. Many people are involved in making this possible and yet we seldom hear their story.
I guess the point I’m trying to make is that the best of the worst case scenarios always manage to make their way into the top slot of the media agenda. Power cuts. Water shortages. Public transportation fiascos. The list goes on. This is the sensationalist news that sells and that people want to read about. Rarely do we spare a thought for all the unsung heroes who day in and day out do their best to make our “normal” life normal.
So this post is dedicated to all of you, the unsung heroes, who make the “normal” possible everyday. Thank you.
March 7, 2018 at 9:29 pm
I hear you loud and clear. We take so many things for granted and don’t appreciate those people behind the scenes. I teach special ed and think about his daily with the grossly underpaid para’s that help make my day go on like a well oiled machine. Thanks for the reminder and thanks to all those people that just “do” what needs to be done.
March 8, 2018 at 12:18 am
I am thinking of the PECO workers in southeastern Pennsylvania who have been going round the clock since Friday to light up the dark neighborhoods in Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, and Philadelphia counties. All the people who use their snowblowers or shovels to clear snow from senior citizens’ sidewalks. We are grateful!
March 8, 2018 at 3:02 am
Such truth in this slice. Things that we totally take for granted! This makes me appreciate those unsung heroes….people who make our daily lives so much smoother….great slice!
March 8, 2018 at 3:25 am
Great post! So true for all of us, I teach in a 1:1 district and having wifi is second nature, when it goes out I feel so out of touch. The funny thing is I have taught without tech for years but now I act like its a big deal. Big SHOUT OUT to the superheroes that bring us the comforts we enjoy even if we don’t realize it.
March 8, 2018 at 5:12 am
Thanks for making me take time to remember all those I take for granted. How easy it is to grumble when things go wrong, but go mute when things go right.
March 8, 2018 at 6:15 am
Great reminder of how these service people are always on call and work to make everything available to us. Nine years ago, we had an ice storm and lost power for 14 days. That’s when we became so aware of how much these people do.
March 8, 2018 at 8:45 am
So true. We need more gratefulness; gratefulness has a way of silencing our grumblings. It’s one reason I like “grateful journals.”
March 8, 2018 at 8:56 am
Grateful journals. Love the idea.