Walking to work, I saw one of those street sweeper vehicles approaching me on California. Since the design of these things is such that it requires close proximity to the curb… the driver’s side is on the right, allowing the driver to better see where he’s going (and what he’s sweeping).
Today, as the guy passed me, he leaned out of his window and threw a bit of trash towards a trashcan situated at the side of the intersection.
He missed, and kept on going. The crumpled piece of paper landed next the trash, on the sidewalk.
Walking to the train, that moment made me think of our jobs, our work. I’m constantly amazed at how so many of us can spend so much time at jobs we hate, doing work we don’t care at some personal level.
I count myself lucky with my work situation. I like the folks I work with, and I like the nature of the work I’m asked to do. I’m invested in it and, I daresay I believe in it.
I wish I would have taken a photo, or recorded a video of the street sweeper incident. In itself, the action was quick and barely warranted a thought. Only afterwards though, as I walked down the street, did I realize how much it said about the nature of work, and our attitudes about our jobs.
It’s quite possible that, had this street sweeper not come down this street… it would have been cleaner. The actions he took while doing his job made the situation he was trying to fix… worse.
Note to self: Don’t turn into this guy. Love what you do, but love whatever it is that fuels what you do as well. Otherwise, you might just end being someone who hurts more than helps. Or worse yet, someone who doesn’t care.
