Work is work

I have a lot of respect for this guy.

He's probably not getting paid that much. He's working a job that just about anyone can do, but most of us wouldn't want to do. If it's like the guys doing the same thing in Fredericksburg, he's cold, and he's breathing exhaust fumes. (This picture was taken in Richmond, VA.)

Who knows what series of events brought him to this place. It doesn't really matter what they were, but it's clear that those events brought him to hold up a sign for Circuit City's going-out-of-business sale instead of, say, owning the company handling the liquidation.

Again, it doesn't matter. He's working. Circuit City had a need for extra publicity, and their lease (or their local laws) may forbid them from putting up temporary, free-standing signs on the surrounding property. But there are no regulations against someone holding a sign, so they seek help to do it.

This guy said yes. It's encouraging to see that people will say yes to this kind of work.

Circuit City is but one business casualty in this monster recession. Our local store's final day is this coming Sunday. Many of these employees — cashiers all the way up to store managers — are already gone, and the rest will go shortly after. They'll be looking for work. If they can't find similar work, then what? One thing that helps is to be more flexible, and that usually means lowering standards: doing something they probably wouldn't do if they had the choice.

It isn't going to be the bailouts and stimulus packages that will get us out of recession. It will be people working, saving, spending, and investing either in their business or someone else's that will get the economy healthy again, rather than merely fueled by easy loans against inflated home prices.

For a while, the jobs people work at may pay substantially less. (For all I know, the guy holding the sign could have been a homebuilder.)

But work is work, and I respect anyone who is working. Hats off to you.

(Photo: F33)

7 thoughts on “Work is work”

I totally agree. When I see people like this guy, it reminds me to stop complaining so much and to just go out there and do my job—I've got a good one, when you think about it.

It's easy to crack jokes about what his guy's potential past was. But in the end I still respect someone willing to do some kind of service for compensation. He's making a greater contribution to the economy that anyone currently collecting unemployment.

I've seen a lot of going out of business sign holders lately. Often on the same corner for different businesses. I did chuckle at some poor workers the other day, guys dressed as the statue of liberty wearing sandwich board signs advertising tax preparation. Something about a guy in a dress wearing a foam crown, they had a good attitude about it.

I couldn't agree more with you. Who knows what would lead a person to choose a job that is really undesirable for many but the mere fact that he is out there doing it says something. It's so difficult thinking of all of these families now struggling without incomes, insurance, etc. during this recession. I hope we can find a way out soon.

Ditto. I walked into a Circuit City today and found the entire environment depressing. All these people were working hard but will soon not have jobs in a few days.

Once I saw a friendly gentleman working for a moving company. I started talking to him and he told me that he worked as an marketing executive for many years until his company downsized. He said it was his first time working a highly labor intensive job and that it made him appreciate his old job even more.