I stopped at a convenience store recently and, as I pulled the door open, I saw the operating hours posted on it.
I don't know what their hours had been in the past, but I thought 8:00 p.m. was pretty early to be closing. How convenient is that for people who need to get gas at night? The clerk said the company had to reduce hours, because they were short-handed.
Sweetheart and I needed to spend some time at the local hospital emergency room recently. The nurse apologized for the long wait times, saying she was the only nurse on duty.
Not too long ago, Sweetheart and I went to a restaurant for a Saturday evening meal. We knew there was something wrong when we drove into the parking lot and there were only two cars there--and they were pulling out.
When we went to the door, we saw a sign posted on it, reading: "Closed. Nobody wants to work. We'll be open tomorrow, if we can get enough workers to come in." It appeared as though the person who wrote that note was at the point of exasperation.
I think people are exasperated on both ends of the spectrum--providers and consumers. I believe providers want to produce goods and services, but don't have enough of the people they need to produce them.
Consumers are frustrated, because they can't get the services they have come to know and love.
Whatever happened to the American spirit? What happened to our can-do attitude? What happened to the feeling of pride, satisfaction and accomplishment a person feels at the end of a hard day of work?
Inquiring minds want to know.
In the books I have read and from what I learned in school, the people who settled this country were rough and ready. They made their own paths; built their cabins out of rough-hewn logs; hunted for their food and fought off enemies. Those who were not strong enough died.
Because we are human, some of us took advantage of others and subjugated them. Hopefully, we have learned our lesson.
In the meantime, we still have needs and desires. Where are the workers to fill those positions? In this society, whether we work or not, we need money to purchase our needs and desires. If a person doesn't work, where does he/she get the money to live?
Have people moved back in with their parents--or never left? Do they rely on the government to support them? Are they homeless, roaming the streets begging for money? Has a portion of our workforce been killed off by drugs?
Inquiring minds want to know.
I'm hoping that the young people in school today are learning the value of working for a living--not only for their lives, but for others, as well.
And thank you to the people who come home from a hard day of work with a feeling of pride, satisfaction and accomplishment, who keep the world the world turning.
Dorothy is the author of two books—“Miles and Miracles” and “Getting It All Together “. You can purchase a book or make a comment by emailing her at dorothybutzknight@gmail.com
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