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Editorial
It takes reliable workers at all levels to keep things humming
Thursday, October 2, 2014
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the message was lost.
For want of a message the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
Not many kingdoms depend on horses any more, but all of us depend on people who take care of the little details that make it possible for us to do our jobs.
President Obama's travels depend on every wire being connected and every bolt tightened correctly on Air Force One.
Drivers depend on mechanics who keep our vehicles in good repair, and the latest smart phone is worthless without the technicians who keep the Internet humming and cellular phone networks in operation.
We couldn't be writing these words if we didn't have information technology experts to keep our computer updated and clear of viruses.
Every day is a "special" day for some group or another, usually several of them.
But Oct. 2, National Custodial Workers Recognition Day, is a good day to be reminded that it takes hard-working, reliable people at all levels to accomplish the tasks that keep our society going.
These are the people who clean and maintain our buildings, make basic repairs, and know how to deal with special issues that appear in particular work places.
A good custodial worker knows how to follow instructions, but after a certain amount of time on the job, anticipates and corrects problems before their co-workers even know the problems exist.
They often work inconvenient hours, evenings and overnights, when the rest of us are home in bed.
For this hard work and dedication, the average "janitor" makes $25,000 a year, nationally, according to salary.com calculations. For McCook, although we can't vouch for the website's accuracy, the same position averages $18,504 a year.
Whether we're just starting our career or already in retirement, we depend on a lot of people doing a lot of different jobs to make our lives as successful as possible.
A clean indoor environment, made possible by custodial workers, is just one example.