Just Looking Around at What Others Do Can Make the Work Day Seem a Lot Easier

When work gets tough, sometimes it pays to just look around at what others have to do to earn a buck. Two old folks trudging through the heat and humidity reminded me recently that work isn't as tough as it seems sometimes. First, a little talk about working in the heat.

We've had some wicked rounds of heat and humid lately. Given that my work takes place in an air conditioned space, the weather typically has minimum impact on my day's production. But it wasn't always so.

Various summer jobs when I was in school found me outdoors at times. There was the concert stage crew gigs that one summer. Setting up the stage started late afternoon, at the hottest time of day. I learned to work in a steady measured fashion - and drink lots of water - to avoid heat exhaustion. Another required unloading trucks of merchandise for a department store. The trailers contained full loads, and we manually carried stuff off the truck, on to hand carts, into the store. We worked quickly, since the delivery trucks had to keep a schedule. Again, steady, measured activity worked best.

Hey, I was young, so it wasn't all that bad. Plus it was only a summer job

After college, I had outdoor work that would find me in the heat of the day.

A first job out of college investigating personal injury claims found me out and about on some pretty hot days. Add in some of the inner city locations in my territory and things could get hot and heavy at times. I had to interview claimants, potential witnesses, photograph accident scenes. If it was the dead heat of summer, no matter. If the venues lacked air conditioning, no matter. It could get pretty sweaty and gritty. And in the inner city, you had to look over your shoulder to stay safe.

Hmmm...I had forgotten about those hot, humid days of outdoor labor. It's been a while since I had to work for extended hours in the heat. While it's been fun reminiscing about laboring in the sun, I'm content being indoors these days - and cool.

But one day, during our most recent heat wave, I started the day with a morning walk through a nearby park. As I was walking there, I passed two folks who reminded me what it was once like working in the heat and humidity.

First, an elderly woman (masked, so I couldn't really see her face) was carrying two large clear plastic bags of recyclable plastic beverage bottles. I was already feeling the heat, even though it was early. As I said a quick prayer for her, I could only imagine what she might be feeling.

Then I passed an Asian gentleman who must have been at least in his 60s, if not older. He was pushing a cart piled high with huge bags of recyclable bottles. Since his stash was so big, he took up the entire sidewalk. When he saw me, he politely stopped and let me pass. We acknowledged each other with a smile.

Both, I suspect, were going to redeem their wares for the five cent per bottle refund. Both of these elderly folks, a woman and a man, were working in the midst of the heat and humidity.

These folks, laboring as they were in tough conditions, reminded me how easy I have it these days - really. Sure, my work will sometimes demand intense, sometimes exhausting spurts of activity, hit me between the eyes with surprise deadlines, call for extended bouts of research and analysis that drains your brain.

But when I picture those old folks pressing on in the midst of the heat and humidity, needing to cash in their loads for those nickels, none of what I do seems all that burdensome.

It's like those times when I'm struggling to keep up my prayers and other devotions in the midst of a busy day. If I picture Jesus carrying His Cross, suffering and dying for me, it does help me to get on with my commitment to my spiritual life.

I guess it comes down to realizing that no matter how tough things can seem, there's always someone else who's go it tougher, right? In the end, it's best to most of the time just thank God that you've got the work you've got.