The Reaction Was Worth Everything

4 replies
Every year without fail mother would reward the garbage collectors and postmen with a beer and sometimes a piece of cake around Christmas time. It was her way of saying thank you for their dedication to a thankless demanding job that few of us would want to take on.

When I moved from home I did the same. Every year I leave two or three cans for the collectors. Sometimes I put a card with them thanking them for what they do.

Yesterday I left a couple of cans for each of the collectors, one the garbage and the other the recycle bin driver. Both had cards with them as per usual with thank you notes and wishes for a Happy New Year inscribed inside. But it was somehow different.

The garbage came and went without my noticing it but the recycle driver stopped for some time in the front. I watched him from the doorway and saw him brush his eyes as though a tear had formed there. After a while I thought I would go out but he was just driving off when he spotted me and waved tooting his horn in thanks.

It is such a little thing to do but it obviously touches these people deeply. In my mothers day it was common to see a bottle or two on top of people's cans for the collectors and one by the letter boxes for the posties, but I never see it now, except my own offerings.

Why can't we say thank you to these men who give us a wonderful service throughout the year and usually work on major holidays to keep us hygienically clean of filth? Why are they taken so much for granted? They are no different to the rest of us and being shown they are appreciated by those they serve is a small reward indeed.

Recently a garbage strike in Naples saw garbage pile up in the streets for months on end. I think it is still there because the Mafia is in control of the counsels and they refuse to clean it. The stench and threat of disease has made this city an abomination.

In countries where there are no collections the hygiene is just not there. Poverty and disease are rife and people suffer. Surely this is something we should not take for granted and for the men who do this thankless job their reaction to a little gift of thanks is well worth the effort.

Don't you agree?

I don't know if this is the right place to post this thread but to me it is a mind thing. Thought for others and rewards where they are not expected return something to us as well. Give to others and the world gives back. So lets give to others and see what happens. What do you say?
#reaction #worth
  • Profile picture of the author Audrey Harvey
    That's a nice story, Norma, good on you. I think it's important to acknowledge service people.

    My Dad became quite chatty and friendly to his mailman, to the extent that even now, 5 years after he died, and several years after he stopped being a mailman, my Mum still receives a Christmas card from him.

    Things like that are appreciated.

    Audrey
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  • Profile picture of the author Mari_Quint
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    • Profile picture of the author Norma Holt
      Originally Posted by Mari_Quint View Post

      A simple gesture of thanks like this is very much appreciated by people who do service jobs and work continuously despite the holidays. Kudos to you Norma for showing appreciation of other peoples' labor of love. Kindness attracts kindness.
      Mari, that's the lesson that is so hard to learn. Its like that other saying 'smile and the world smiles with you, cry and you cry alone.' I love making people smile and sometimes they probably think me an idiot when I smile at perfect strangers or start talking to them.

      That's the other thing we don't do enough of. Once it was normal to talk to strangers in shops and streets and to make friends of them. Today people rush around with their heads high in the air hardly seeing anything around them while ignoring all in sundry. Its little wonder that most of them tread in muck and give nothing to anyone.

      Happy New Year everyone. Its January 1st here, 10.06am. My cat has five lovely 2 days kittens in a basket beside my chair and the world seems to be at peace at last as there is not a single sound outside to disturb it. Have a great 2009 and make it a prosperous one.

      love ( excuse me I feel to say it)

      Norma
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  • Profile picture of the author Amber_Writes
    This is a very beautiful and touching story indeed. It warms me to see that people in this world still care for others, and appreciate those things which others do for them.

    It would be a great thing if people would adopt this mindset.
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