Every Job Matters and So Does Every Person

Published October 15, 2018

My dad has been a truck driver all of his life, and he has spent a lot of time working for garbage companies. One of his favorite phrases and one I grew up listening to is, “Don’t forget about the garbage man. You’re no better than the garbage man; his job is just as important.”

It’s true. No one is better than anybody else. Everyone on this planet is a human. Every one of us has the same body composition. Every one of us matters. So where does the idea that someone who works for everyone’s favorite fast food chain or someone who picks up the garbage you no longer want and discards of it properly is somehow both an inferior employee and person to someone who is a successful businessman in a big city?

I see this a lot in college. Everyone is working toward a degree that will score them a big job in a big city with a big salary, and this will equate to success. It means they’ve “made it,” that they won’t have to work a minimum wage job or a job they see as “less than ideal.” In fact, it’s almost a fear a lot of college students have; they fear that they will fail, they will never find a “successful” job, and they will end up working a minimum wage job.

Recently, I was watching a movie where one of the main characters was a barista, waiting for her big moment to come where she finds a job that is better than the one she has. But a customer makes it a point to tell her that her job matters. She gives coffee to people with a smile. She makes their mornings better. Her job matters. And it’s like she’s never thought about that before.

I think this is something everybody, whether they work the jobs no one wants, or they work the jobs everyone wants, should know–your job matters. If it didn’t, it wouldn’t exist. So on your hardest days, when you want to quit, don’t. Just remember that what you are doing, despite stereotypes, despite how much you make, despite your hours–it matters.

Always remember that you’re no better than the garbage man, and you’ll be able to see the worth in your life and in others lives.

---

12 Things You Know to Be True If You Commute to Work

Published September 23, 2018

Summer is prime internship time for college students. And if you live in the Tri-state Area, it’s likely you’ll take an intern position in New York City. Summer housing in the city can be super expensive, so the next best and slightly cheaper option is commuting.

That’s what I decided to do. Monday through Friday, I commute from Connecticut to Battery Park. And while the internship I have is an incredible opportunity where I’ve already learned so much in only three weeks, I’ve also learned quite a few things about commuting. If you’re a work commuter as well, here are x things you know to be true!

1. Your work hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m., but your days are really 4 a.m.-9 p.m.

Yup…you read that correctly. In order to make it to the job by 9 a.m., us commuters have to wake up pretty freakin’ early just to catch the train. And when the work day is over, you feel a momentary sense of sweet relief–until you realize you still have another three hours until you’re even walking through the door.

2. You’re CONSTANTLY eating.

There’s something about being awake for seventeen hours every day that just makes you so damn hungry. So pretty much this is how your eating schedule goes as a commuter: first breakfast at home, followed by second breakfast on train, then a mid-morning snack (only 10 a.m. at this point), then lunch, then mid-afternoon snack, then snack on the commute home, then dinner. Lots of dinner.

3. You’re jealous of everyone who gets to make fun after-work plans.

“Yeah, let’s all meet up for drinks after work at that cool rooftop bar!” And for a moment, you’re like “OMG, yes, totally!” And then you remember that if you stay two hours longer, you won’t get home until like midnight–when the trains only run every hour. So, no fun plans after work for you.

4. It really takes a village to get you to work.

It takes a car, a train, a subway, and a good pair of legs–and a good pair of shoes, honestly–to get me to and from work every morning.

5. The mad dash to the train station after work is your worst nightmare.

Mornings are great. You get into the city earlier enough that it’s not too crowded yet. You beat rush-hour traffic on the highway. And you make sure there’s plenty of time to get to your train. On the way home, however, you wear a pair of sneakers and hope you run fast enough to catch the subway that comes around 5:32 p.m. every day in order to make your 6:04 train. Sometimes you make it–but sometimes you don’t. You curse the fact that you’re not Usain Bolt.

6. The subway system is SUPER unpredictable…

Cold in the mornings, hot and humid in the afternoons, crowded at random times, uncrowded at peak hours, strange delays, sudden stops, doors that refuse to close the first time–you really never know what you’re going to get.

7. …and so is MTA.

Usually departing on time, but always arriving late. *rolls eyes*

8. There’s always that one person on the train that has to sit next to you–in an      empty car.

More like you can’t sit with me.

9. Through all the bad, there are some good aspects about commuting: books!

Since the commute is so long, there’s plenty of time to read through that stack of books (or closet-full, if you’re like me) that you’ve been promising yourself for years now that you would actually read. Whether it be a novel, a textbook, a newspaper, or an e-book, get to reading! It makes the time go much faster.

10. You discover new music every day.

You’ll get sick of the new playlist fast–but you’ve got plenty of time to discover new music and create great playlists for every mood and kind of day.

11. You feel like a real New Yorker.

At this point, I feel comfortable giving people directions–even on the subway. It makes me feel like I really live here (I practically do considering most of my days are spent there).

12. It’s an experience you’ll never forget.

Through all the craziness of commuting, it truly is an unforgettable experience that I will remember forever.