Most of my life has been spent around "working people"...tradesmen, skilled labor, factory workers, farmers, mechanics, coal miners, truck drivers, ditch-diggers, and other folks who make a living with their hands and by the sweat of their brows. They build, create, assemble, repair, produce, deliver, and haul away. Next time you go to the store and the shelves are stocked, say a thank you prayer to the truck driver who delivered the goods and the clerk who put the items on the shelf. While you're filling your tank at the gas station, reflect on the number of working people it took to get your gas into the storage tank below your feet...the oilfield workers, pipeline builders, refinery personnel, barge crews, and truck drivers. I believe working people are the glue that binds communities together. Not convinced? The next time your commode backs up, create a virtual toilet on your computer and try using that instead of calling a plumber.
In this space over the next several months, I plan to feature working people who honored me by stepping in front of my lens and answering five questions.
What is your job title? Plumber's Helper.
What do you like most about your job? The pay and dealing with customers.
What's the hardest part of your job that nobody knows about? All the walking I do to retrieve tools and parts from the truck.
If you weren't doing this work, what kind of work would you be doing? Housekeeping.
If you could go back in time and talk to yourself at age 16, what would you tell yourself? Go to art school!
