According to the Almanac, the sun rose today at 7:26. For me it was about an hour and a half earlier.
I was downtown getting fresh produce, watching workers scurrying around trying to fill orders. They were understaffed and the building was in a lockdown mode to keep them safe. They were doing the best they could to keep nourishing food coming.
My drive home gave me time to think a little.
Working class people are our true heroes and America still has plenty of them.
As a society, we have become obsessed with the idolatry of sports and entertainment figures, and corporate heads -- many of whom are incredibly overpaid. But when a true crisis happens, I want the working class heroes on my side. Just like the heroes of past wars, where they came from inner cities and off farms, the true American heroes are showing themselves again.
We have a volunteer crew of people that help us prepare our salad mix on Fridays. They are all adults who believe that what they are doing is important. Right now, they are understaffed, but yet have increased production to keep people healthy. They are working longer hours because everyone here believes that having our salad mix available is important. Barb is also dealing with a 50% increase in salad production in the last two weeks. I want to thank them all for their heroic efforts
I have been talking to people who are in manufacturing jobs -- something you might consider non-essential. They are working dozens of hours overtime trying to cover for other employees who are now off work. But they are keeping products moving -- keeping businesses open -- and keeping the economy from shutting down. There are truck drivers who are continuing to deliver products. These people are all heroes.
There are medical workers who are spending their day in hazmat suits, sometimes without proper face protection because of a shortage of masks, testing people for an illness everybody is afraid of. These are more heroes.
There are many people, some of whom I am sure are ill, setting up offices at home to help keep businesses running -- more heroes.
When this is over, we should all remember who the true heroes are -- the working class people who are keeping you fed, and keeping the economy running.
We will get through this crisis. I am now sure of it. I have seen it with my own eyes.
The sun is now up, it is shining brightly, but for me it came up for a several hours ago.
