Spoiled by those behind the scenes

Kaity Holtman

We all seem to have pretty hectic lives. Mine ebbs and flows, but mostly ebbs toward busy.

We go, go, go until something brings us to a screeching halt. And then we sit there in limbo, not knowing what to do with ourselves.

Sometimes that “something” is a tragedy, sickness, or even just an evening with no schedule.

But sometimes that “something” is an inconvenience we don’t even consider during our daily lives.

An example — the boil order we had a couple weeks ago here in Maryville. Everyone came to a sudden stop.

The convenience of enjoying a glass of cold water was suddenly much more difficult.

Restaurants sold only bottled water.

People went to the grocery stores to buy water.

(I think they should really have called it a “bottled water” order instead. I don’t feel like today’s society has the patience to actually boil it before they drink or use it.)

How often do we go about our lives without thinking about those behind-the-scenes people who make our lives so much easier than if they didn’t do their jobs?

I believe it was Budweiser that used to do a “we salute you” campaign to those types of people. You know who I’m talking about …

The people who manage our water supply.

The people who figure out the timing of our traffic signals.

The people who pick up trash from our homes.

The people who grow our food, and those who deliver it to the grocery store.

Those who put it on the shelves.

The people who take care of our lights, heating and cooling, even wireless internet and phone signal towers.

The people who deliver our mail to our front doors.

The people who maintain our road systems.

The people who send us weather alerts and warnings.

The people who refill tanks at the gas stations.

The people who build and constantly improve our infrastructure.

The people who organize events we all attend as part of our daily routine.

The people who run retail and service businesses which are open when we need them.

The list could go on all day long.

For every step I take, there is someone behind the scenes who has made that step that much easier.

But the “negative nellies” — yes, we all know some — ignore the 360 days of the year that everything works correctly.

Instead, they focus on the few days of the year, if that, when something, however trivial, goes wrong.

They complain on social media, hoping to negatively influence as many others as possible.

But then, those complainers are the first people to quiet down when everything works like it’s supposed to again. Very rarely are those the people who give thanks when things are made right again.

Both positive and negative attitudes are contagious, and each one of us can make a conscious effort to make a positive influence on those with whom we come in contact with on a regular basis.

We should take time to say, “Thank you,” to those who maintain our convenience, or even make progress for the sake of our convenience, on a daily basis.

Actually, now that I think about it, I would bet that every person reading this issue of the Maryville Daily Forum believes, and is absolutely correct in that belief, that their job makes someone else’s day-to-day life flow a little easier than it would without them.

So, “Thank you.”

Thank you to each and every one of you who work every day to make someone else’s life a little easier, a little safer, a little better.

I appreciate you, your hard work, and your generosity.Sp