Say Your "Thank You's"
By Kaitlin Costarene
By now, we’ve all been quarantined for about two weeks. After lots of time to reflect on this new reality, I’d like to offer you a new perspective on the way we define success and importance, and who deserves our “thank you’s” right now.
We all have some sort of preconceived notion of what it means for a job to be prestigious. We usually think of jobs that are competitive and high-paying. Typically, we use these criteria to evaluate a person’s success. A businessman on Wall Street, a lawyer, or a surgeon might come to mind when we think of job prestige. Fortunately, COVID-19’s impact on our world has helped me see past this rigid view of prestige and success.
Of course, all of the “prestigious” jobs mentioned above are important and helpful to the regular functioning of our society. However, the pandemic has proven that those occupations are not what keeps our society going. The occupations of highest value are those that we often take for granted: those making a difference in day-to-day life for everyone. Of course, doctors and other medical personnel who work to save the lives of others still deserve a huge “thank you.” But we also owe just as much thanks to those who deliver our mail, collect our garbage, and work at our local grocery stores and pharmacies. These occupations keep life as we know it running. We might think the state of the pandemic is bad right now, but, for example, if grocery stores employees stayed home, our lives would not look the way they do right now. The people who keep our society operating deserve all of our recognition, appreciation, and thanks.
Unfortunately, our society’s idea of a job’s importance is often tied to its “glamor” or “prestige.” Right now, everyone should be rethinking that. In the midst of a pandemic, people are risking their lives to ensure we have groceries, prescriptions, mail, and a sanitary environment. Even outside of a crisis, these professions matter. They truly make life run. This is not to undermine lawyers or businesspeople. However, lawyers and businesspeople usually get plenty of recognition and compensation for their work. This is not the case for people who work less glamorous jobs. But those are some of the most important occupations that exist, and they deserve our thanks now more than ever.
Think about how different your life would be if for one week, your garbage was not picked up. Now, think about how different your life would be if for one week, a businessman did not go to work. While both of these occupations hold value, one has more of a visible impact on society.
With that small example, reconsider what it means for a job to be important or successful. It’s not about how much money a person makes or the title of their job. Instead, it is about how many lives that person can touch and how they change the world for the better. So, the next time your mail is delivered or the next time you buy groceries, show some extra love and kindness, smile a little bigger, and say a sincere and honest “thank you.” Show the people around you that they are valued and that their work has not gone unnoticed.
