“HEROIC TRASH COLLECTOR”
My trash collector and I had an interesting exchange the other morning. I was out walking, and he said, “Hello, Doctor!”
I replied, “You make me laugh when you call me ‘Doctor’!”
He countered, “Well, I think that getting your Ph.D. is an amazing accomplishment.”
“I’m more relieved than amazed, I guess,” I replied.
And then, he took off his glove, and said, “I’d like to shake your hand, if that would be alright.”
“I would be honored,” I replied.
“I work hard, but you have brains,” he said.
My trash collector has been doing his job for twenty-four years. He told me in a conversation a few years ago that he had encountered people who has cursed at him for slowing them down in their cars, drunks who had threatened to fight, and bees and wild animals who stung and bit him. He is now having knee problems, and has to take cortisone shots every few weeks in order to help him to do his job without quite as much pain.
A few years ago, I forgot to put my trash out one week, and then we went on vacation. After we came back, I was taking a walk on trash day. He stopped me and asked, with obvious anxiety, “Are you all alright? I didn’t pick up your trash for a couple of weeks, and was worried about you!”
Years ago, I said to a medical student with whom I was acquainted, “I’m not too fond of doctors, but I suppose that we owe a lot to you, including the fact that we are all living longer.” His response surprised me.
“Well, actually,” he said, “you likely owe that to the garbage collectors.” He went on to explain that the sanitation folks had done a great deal to cut down on infections and even plagues.
Humm!
So, back to my recent conversation with my trash collector.
“I think,” I said to him, “that people like you, who do necessary jobs faithfully, are the real heroes.” And then I added, “I’d like to shake your hand, if that would be alright.”
“I would be honored,” he said.
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